The Brothers Grimm
by savagecry21
Summary: Sequel to His Salvation. Fairytale endings belong in books. His son knew that, but it wasn't good enough for him. He was going to get her back, alright, even if he has to burn down the world to do it. Xanxus/OC
1. Anything but Disney

**The Brothers Grimm**

_Brainstorming for a sequel, and this is what came of it. Tales of the Grimm brothers have never been so good. Enjoy!_

**Anything but Disney**

"Happy Birthday, Angelo!" crooned Lussuria as he handed a brightly colored package to the seven-year-old boy.

Angelo turned the package this way and that, guessing what lay within as his uncle smiled ridiculously down at him. Finally, the boy tore off the wrapper, revealing a leather-bound collection of fairy tales by the Grimm brothers. His bright blue eyes raked through the corner, taking in the gold-embossed lettering and red leather.

Lussuria stood there waiting, anxious to hear about any of his comments on the book. He watched him thumb through the pages aimlessly till he could take it no longer. "Well, do you like it?" he asked, biting his lip. Knowing his father, the kid could be picky as hell, just like him. Then again, there was a chance he could've taken after his mother…

"Wha—" Angelo looked up from his book, shaking the confusion from his face. Closing it, he hugged it to his chest, smiling, "—oh, yeah, it's great. Thanks".

Satisfied with his answer, Lussuria sauntered off with a silly grin on his face. Later, he would brag about his latest "accomplishment" but not with the kid within earshot.

As soon as he left, Angelo sat on the bear hide rug with his back against the foot of an armchair, flipping through the pages of his new book. It was a cold October night, and the fireplace offered warmth and bliss to him. The Varia—a group of assassins he called family—had just gotten home for ma mission a few hours ago. The one he called "Dad" was an irritable alcoholic of a man—and he was the leader of Varia, too. "Mom", however, was out of the picture—hasn't been in it since the accident two years ago.

Amidst the blissful silence, he hears boots shuffling softly on the carpet, followed by a tell-tale, "VOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!"

_Uncle Squalo. _The white-haired swordsman was a dear friend of his mom's, though he'd never really understood why; the guy was such a loudmouth. Sitting up straight, he asked, "So how did the trip go?"

"The hell do you think?" replied the swordsman, plopping down onto the armchair behind Angelo. From where he sat, he smelled like grass and stagnant water. A lazy smile crept over the assassin's features as he closed his eyes. "We kicked ass, kid, like we always do. You should know that by now".

He smiled knowingly, and turned back to the book on his lap, unaware that he was being watched by Squalo. Pushing the hair out of his eyes, he leaned forward, elbows against his knees. "What do you have there?" he asked, nodding towards the book.

Angelo kept his hand on a page as he turned to the cover for Squalo to see. "Uncle Lussuria gave it to me. It's my birthday, remember?"

_Please, you should be calling him Aunt Lussuria, _Squalo thought as he gazed at the cover disdainfully. _That gay faggot didn't even remind me that…_"Oh, shit! It's your fucking birthday!"

The boy gazed at him incredulously, giving him a look that seemed to say, where-the-fuck-have-you-been?

Like it wasn't enough that he had Xanxus's face, he had Mira's eyes, too—silvery blue ones that made him feel guilty.

"Damn, I forgot", he said, rubbing a hand across his face. "Well, erm…Happy Birthday".

With his head within Angelo's eye level, it was crystal clear that the boy was waiting for something. "Alright, kid, what the fuck do you want?" he snapped. _Stop looking at me like that. You look like a goddamn puppy. _

Grinning, Angelo put the open book on the swordsman's lap. "Read this for me?" he pleaded, pointing at the page he bookmarked.

Squalo raised an eyebrow at the title. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves? Are you fucking kidding me?!"

The boy was already seated at his feet, looking up at him expectantly. Squalo groaned in frustration and began the story. "Once upon a time…"

Suddenly, they heard Bel cackling from afar; the so-called prince was already making his way to them. "Shishishishi~ I didn't know Squalo can read!"

"Shut the fuck up! Like you can do any better".

"As a matter of fact, I can! Shishishishishishi~" Bel plopped himself directly opposite Angelo, his crazed smile illuminated by the fire behind him. "I'll even tell you the story myself".

As soon as Squalo opened his mouth to speak, Angelo gathered the book from his lap and closed it, tucking it under his arm. Then he placed a small hand on his knee. "Can you stay here with me and listen to Uncle Bel's story?" he asked, eyes pleading.

The swordsman rolled his eyes, and leaned back against the armchair. _This is what I get for hanging around Mira too much, _he thought. "This had better be good", he grumbled.

Bel made a show of clearing his throat, and thus he began his story: "First and foremost, there was no magic mirror, so you can forget about that now. A beautiful queen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and her name was Snow White. As she grew up, she became more and more beautiful, while her mother became older and uglier. The queen wasn't a genius like me, so she thought Snow White has been stealing her beauty from her womb. Soon, her delusions were proven when she caught her husband cheating on her with Snow White. Shishishishi…"

Squalo looked down at Angelo; he seemed so absorbed with the story, hanging onto Bel's every word—even the incest part. _That king is a sick old bastard. _

"So the queen sends Snow White to be killed, but fails and la-dee-dah-dee-dah…", the prince leaned in close to the boy's face, their noses only a hairsbreadth away from each other, "…you know how the queen died?"

Angelo shook his head, and Bel cackled madly. "She was deep fried when she wore a pair of hot iron shoes! Shishishishishi~"

"What kind of story was that?!" demanded Squalo. "That's it! Get the fuck out of here!"

Bel pranced out of the living room, still laughing at his own story. Squalo shook his head in disdain. "Your Uncle Bel is a fucking psycho. What the hell possessed you to listen to him, anyway?"

Angelo merely shrugged. "He offered".

"Well, learn how to fucking say no!" Squalo leaned back, watching the child at his feet who seemed so fixated at the fireplace.

"Is that what Mama would have done?" he whispered, still staring at the crackling flames as if he could see her face there.

"Kid…" he started, leaning forward with a slight smile on his face, "…your mom could take care of herself. You? I'm not so sure".

Hones blue eyes looked up at him as a Xanxus-esque smirk tugged at his lips; it was an eerie combination, and he looked like something off The Exorcist. "Someday, I'll be as strong as Papa. You'll see", he declared, breaking into a Mira-esque grin. "Then I'll be the leader of Varia!"

_I bet you will. _"Go to bed, kid. You were supposed to be asleep hours ago".

"Good night, Uncle Squalo".

He watched the boy—mini-Xanxus, as he often referred to him when he wasn't around—leave till he was the only one in the room. Rower pulsed through the kid's veins, thanks to the wonder of genetics. A prodigy is what he is, and his father—any father, in fact—should be proud of him.

_Hell, _Squalo though, _his_ _dad can't even remember his own son's fucking birthday. _


	2. What Fear Is

**2) What fear is**

Hours later, the whole mansion fell silent in its slumber, save for one person relentlessly draining bottle after bottle in a drunken frenzy. Soon enough, Xanxus ran out of booze, but drunk as he was, he didn't make much of a fuss about it. On the tray where the empty decanters stood was a ring, its single diamond glittering softly under the pale moon. Light scattered from its tiny facets, casting miniature pools of silver upon the obsidian tray. Xanxus picked it up, examining the seemingly endless circle—a promise from another lifetime. Another lifetime that seemed an eternity ago, where someone had usually fallen asleep on his desk or bed, fingers still lingering on the keys of an open laptop. He had taken it upon himself to wake her up, or at least shut the laptop. _Fucking workaholic, _he used to call her—then she'd roll her eyes and keep working anyway. Then he'd snatch the damn thing away from her; feisty as she was, she took it back, and the whole struggle ended up with them sprawled on his bed devoid of any clothing. In the middle of the night, she'd wake up, dress herself in whatever shirt she found on the floor and tiptoe to her son's room. Even in his sleep, he could hear the lullabies she sang to him…

Xanxus put the ring back on the tray and got up to leave the room. A piece of her still lingered in the mansion; living in the boy he called his son.

Angelo sat on the bed with his back against the headboard, examining a pearl necklace under the soft lamplight. As a child, he honestly believed that some of his mother's warmth still resided within the pristine white beads; that if he though hard enough, he could still feel her. It was his lucky charm, his safety blanket that never left the confines of his pocket. HE refused to let it go; after all, it was all he had of hers.

Suddenly, the door creaked open. Quickly, he snapped out of his trance and found himself staring at his father, those ever-glaring eyes boring into him. "You're supposed to be asleep", he said, leaning against the open door. Angelo shoved the necklace under the sheets, keeping his eyes on Xanxus all the while.

"Sorry, Papa", he mumbled, fluffing up his own pillow—something his mother used to do, but now the task fell to him.

"What the fuck are you apologizing for?" he growled, walking towards the four-poster bed and sat at its foot.

Angelo faced his death stare head on slightly intimidated, but he didn't have to know that. After all, how was he going to be the next leader if he can't even hold his ground in a mere stare down? A smirk tugged at Xanxus's lips. His feral eyes traveled to his bedside table, settling on his new book. "Levi gave that to you?" he asked, nodding towards it.

"Nope, but Uncle Lussuria did, though. Then Uncle Squalo read me a story—well, he would've, but then Uncle Bel cut in and improvised".

The scowl deepened. "What the fuck does that idiot prince know about stories anyway?" he said, taking the book from the table and started flipping through it. "Can't you read on your own?"

He crawled out from under the sheets and tapped the elegant manuscript. "I can't read cursive. Working on it, though".

The look he gave him bordered around amusement and annoyance. Nevertheless, he continued flipping through the book till he settled on a page. Angelo sat as close to him as he dared to, looking intently at the page where he stopped. "Papa?"

"Hm?" He hasn't taken his eyes off the title. _The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was. Damn, that's a long-ass title. _

"Are you going to read to me?"

He wanted to say, _"What the fuck do you think I'm here for?" _but considering that Angelo already had a colorful vocabulary thanks to his subordinates—namely, Squalo—he decided against it. "That's why I'm here, son", he said, trying to make it sound as natural as possible. The man has yet to discover that parental bone in his body.

Angelo scooted closer till they were only inches apart. Xanxus cleared his throat and began, improvising the rest of the way: "Once upon a time, there was this kid who told his dad he wanted to learn to shudder. So he goes to the village priest, right? When the kid learns how to ring the church bell, the priest sends him to ring it one midnight. Then, that dumbass priest comes after him dressed like a ghost, and the kid's all like, "What the—"

His gaze darted to Angelo, who smiled knowingly, willing for him to continue. Exhaling sharply, he went on, ignoring the blank he just left. "When the priest doesn't answer him, he pushes him down a flight of stairs and the priest walks away with a broken leg".

From the corner of her eye, Angelo was grinning.

"When his dad found out what he did, he kicks him out of the house. The boy still wants to learn how to shudder. Then he meets this guy, who tells him to spend the night under the gallows where seven men are still hanging from them. Even after that, he still didn't know how to shudder".

"Then he visits this haunted castle. Now, you watch all that horror crap, right?"

Angelo nodded. "Uncle Bel has a truckload of those things".

He scowled, knowing what kind of sick crap his Storm Guardian thrives in. "What do you do about nightmares, then?"

"Nothing. I rarely dream at all", the boy curled up into a ball, making himself seem smaller. "But when I do, it's always Mama's face I see".

He thought about that unfilled space ion his bed, that absence of someone else's heart beating next to him. _Me, too, kid, _he thought, thinking about those countless times at night when he thought she was there, then wake up disappointed. "Well, this haunted castle had just about every single sick little thing you can imagine living in it. The boy stayed there for 3 nights, and he still didn't know how to shudder. On the third night, an old man came in a led him to the basement to show him that he can knock an anvil into the ground—_fucking showoff_. The boy was pretty pissed by then, and he splits the anvil in half, trapping the old man's beard in it. Then he grabs an iron rod and beats the old coot senseless till he shows him all the treasure in the castle". _Attaboy. _

"The next morning, the king hears about the boy and asks him to marry his daughter. He still hasn't learned to shudder, and he complains about it all the damn time till his new wife gets sick of it. So one day, while he was asleep, she grabs a bucket filled with ice-cold water and dumps it on him. He wakes up shuddering for the first time in his pathetic life. _Whoop-de-fucking-doo. _Now he knows what it's like to shudder—but not to fear".

Xanxus closed the book and tossed it onto the bedside table, landing with a resounding thud. His son looked up at him, blue eyes wide with something like realization. "You should go to sleep now", he said, heading for the door to turn off the light.

His hand was on the switch when Angelo said, "You're kinda like him, you know?"

Xanxus looked back at him. "Like who?"

"That boy from the story", he answered simply. "You're not afraid of anything, Papa. Goodnight".

Xanxus left without another word. Under his pillow, Angelo clutched tightly at the pearl necklace. _I'll be as fearless as he is one day, Mama. You'll see, _he thought, drifting off to sleep.

_"You're not afraid of anything, Papa"._

He was lying alone on his bed, willing sleep to come. Enclosed in his fast was her wedding ring, its natural coolness dominated by the heat of his hand. _What's there to be afraid of?_

When the one thing you tried to keep from happening happens anyway, there's just rage—from not being able to stop it, to the fact that somewhere, someone blames you for it. It didn't matter how many people say, "It's wasn't your fault".

When you lose the one thing you fear of losing, there's really nothing left.

* * *

**Okay, so semester exams are coming up....**

**....but since I feel like I've done wrong to all those of you who loyally read the crap I write,**

**then I guess it's only right to offer some compensation....XP**

**....so, yes, I will take suggestions.**

**ANY BROTHERS GRIMM STORY.**

**I'LL DO MY BEST TO GIVE LITTLE ANGELO A GREAT BEDTIME STORY!**

**oh, and if you want, you can request qho the lucky assassin-storyteller would be...**

**~Ta!**


	3. Sleeping Beauty

**alright, here it is. For Yami Dragoness of Dark.**

**~enjoy!**

**Sleeping Beauty**

_**Running. That's all he knew how to do. Run. And here he was now, doing just that, except he didn't know where to go. He panted and wheezed and yelled for help. Nothing. Not even his father came to his aid. "Mama!" he screamed, over and over again till his voice was hoarse. "Please! Help me!"**_

_**Then he fell into the dark.**_

Angelo sprang from his bed, breathing hard and fast. In his hand, he clutched his mother's necklace. The boy held it to his chest, curling over it like a distressed hermit crab. _Just a bad dream. It's nothing. Nothing at all._

He sighed deeply, reaching over for his new book. "Alright, Grimmies, we're going for a little stroll".

Carefull, he left his room for the kitchen, a habit that was steadily developing. He slipped in through the door without so much a sound when suddenly, the lights switched on.

Lussuria jumped out of nowhere, scaring the living crap out of the boy. "Aha! So you're the little cake-stealing thief!"

"Uncle Luss?!? What the fuck are you doing here?!?"

"Hey, watch your language young man. Your mother wouldn't want you talking like that".

Angelo quickly clamped his mouth shut and marched to the table. Innocently, he asked, "May I please have some cake and milk? I'm really hungry".

Lussuria sighed deeply. "I swear, one day, batting those baby blues of yours won't work anymore".

He busied himself while preparing their food, while the child thumbed absently through the pages of his new book. "Hey, Uncle Luss?"

"Hm?"

"I like chocolate cake".

"So do I".

"What did Mom like?"

"Eh, a lot of things. Lamb chops, rhubarb pie, you". He laughed a little. "Especially you. She loved your Papa just as much, but she never really owned up to it".

"Why?"

"She's an ice queen. No pun intended, of course. Here, dig in". He set down two glasses of milk and two slices of cake, then he sat down next to the boy. "You keep eating like you are now, you're gonna get fat".

"No, I won't", he replied defiantly through a mouthful of chocolate cake. "Papa eats a lot, and I heard Mama had a pretty big appetite, too. And neither of them are even chunky".

Lussuria laughed. "That's because you're Papa is the Boss. And Mira was always using that brain of hers so she definitely burned those calories".

They ate in silence, till a random crumb landed on Angelo's book. "Whoops, my bad", said Lussuria, quickly wiping it off. "You must like my gift so much to have brought it with you here".

"It's pretty neat. Papa read me a story before bed, you know".

"Did he, now?"

Angelo nodded. "Well, would you like me to tell you a story?" asked the green-haired assassin.

"Yes, please".

"Alright. You mind saying that in French for me?"

Angelo pouted. _"Oui, s'il vous plaît"._

"Good", he smiled. I don't even know any French myself. He flipped through the pages till he settled for a certain story. "Here we are, Sleeping Beauty".

And thus he began. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful queen who wanted to have a baby more than anything else in the world, but she couldn't. Then one day, while the queen was bathing in the royal pool, a frog appeared before her, and--"

"Stop filling the boy's head with your disgusting stories, you rutting pervert", said Mammon coolly, appearing out of nowhere.

He floated towards them and landed neatly on the table. "Young master, are you listening to him? Because I suggest that you don't. Your father wouldn't be pleased to hear that you let him pollute your mind".

"Oh, stop sucking up!" groaned Lussuria. "And this wasn't a sex story, you know, till you came along!"

Mammon turned his stony gaze at his colleague. "I'm not the necrophile here, imbecile".

"Oh, you're so mean, you devil baby", Lussuria pouted.

Angelo sighed deeply. "Can you please continue?"

Lussuria beamed at him. "Why, of course. So anyway...the frog who appeared in front of the queen during her bath--"

"Will you stop saying that?" Mammon interrupted. "He already gets the picture. Bathing means she's naked, you sicko".

"ANYWAY! The frog told her that she will be pregnant and have the baby she always wanted. And the frog was right, and later she had a beautiful baby girl. The King and Queen were overjoyed by her birth and--"

"Shishishishi...I bet you can't even spell that. Shishishishi...overjoyed", cackled Bel, sitting downon the table to join them. "You're really listening to this crap, Angelo? You know I could tell you a better story".

"Er...no, thanks. I'll pass. Continue, Lussuria".

"I can spell overjoyed, you know. It's O-V-E-"

"-R-J-O-Y-E-D", Angelo finished for him. "Now can you please get on with it? _Maintenant_?"

_"Il ne comprend pas, Angelo"_, said Bel. _"Ne perdez pas votre souffle"._

Angelo quirked an eyebrow at him in amazement. _"Vous parlez français, lui aussi?"_

_"Oui"._

"Alright, will you two quit the Frenchie lingo? Trying to read a story here!" said Lussuria.

Bel cackled malicously. _"Il essaie, parce qu'il ne peut pas lire les mots"._

_"Pouvez-vous s'il vous plaît Chut une minute? Je veux finir l'histoire"._ Angelo nodded for Lussuria to go on.

"Thank you. Now where were we? Oh, yes. So the King and Queen were overjoyed with their birth that they decide to throw her a grand party, inviting all the fairies in the kingdom. Now while they were handing out the invitations, they missed giving one to a single fairy and so she couldn't go to the party. She was furious, and so she decided to crash it. Now while all the other fairies were bestowing good gifts for the princess--"

"Bestowing...shishishishi. Another big word for you, Lussuria".

"Shut up! Now, anyway, the bad fairy cursed the princess, saying that on her 18th birthday, she'll prick her finger on a spindle and die.

"Guess she should've just hired her someone to make her own clothes for her", said Mammon.

"Shush, baby, let me finish. so the Princess grew up happy, healthy, and pretty. Her father, the King, ordered that all spindles in the kingdom be burned because he didn't want his child to get hurt. THe princess grew up without ever seeing a psindle her entire life til her 18th birthday. Sure enough, the bad fairy's curse came true, and she pricked her finger on a spindle. Now all the other good fairies came to her aid, and the only way they could save her was by reversing the curse so that she was only asleep, not dead. They also put the rest of the kingdom asleep, and only one thing can wake her and everyone else up. Do you know what that is?"

"A good slap in the face?" suggested Mammon. "Defibrilators are rather expensive, you know".

"No! I wasn't even talking to you". Next time, I'll read to him when they're all asleep, Lussuria thought. "It's true loves' kiss. So the Princess' story reaches other kingdoms, and soon almost every man out there is ready to risk their lives to free her. Of course, none of them ever succeeded. It stayed like that for a long, long time, and soon the whole kingdonm was covered in thorns and weeds. Then one day, a young prince came along who also wanted to free the sleeping princess. He wacked thorough all those terrible things and he finally reached her. And you know what happened?"

"shishishishi....he ran away because that girl was so wrinkled and ugly, right?"

"Ew no amount of plastic surgery can fix that", Mammon added.

"THEY KISSED, alright? Gosh! And so the Princess finally woke up and they got married and they all lived happily ever after. There. THE END. Are you guys happy now?"

"Oh, very. The stupidity of that is finally over", said Bel. "Time for bed".

"You should go to bed, too, Angelo".

He nodded, and left without another word.

Lussuria stared after the boy and smiled sadly. _So young and so fluent in French already? He really does take after you, cupcake._

Angelo lay awake in his bed, running his mother's pearls through his fingertips. They were cold and smooth, just like his mother's hands when she came home on some days.

He turned in his bed and willed himself to sleep. _Someday, Mom. Maybe one day, Dad will wake you up, too._

**HINT, HINT! Looks like someone's going to make a comeback...**

**sorry if it took so long...**

**anyways, please review.**

**oh, btw, if you're going to request, make sure you have a NAME, k? no, ... doesn't cut it.**


	4. Rapunzel

_Racked my brains for a Grimm Bros application to KHR and my story and this is what I came up with. Pardon the uber-long delay._

_Oh and just so you guys know, this was all set in the future before the TYL! arc._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Rapunzel**

It was no surprise that Squalo was late. Again. He'd never been much for annual meetings orchestrated by the Vongola anyway, and it was doubtful that Xanxus would send anyone else, not that anyone else in Varia would be interested or qualified. As the others waited inside the mansion, Dino chose to stay outside on the veranda. After all, spring at the Vongola Mansion was certainly a sight to behold. Green as far as the eye can see, dotted by flowers of all shapes and sizes. It didn't look like a place where Mafioso would gather, but he figured he had Tsuna's mom to thank for that. Sawada Nana saw just about every single one of them—even Hibari—as her children, and therefore she took it upon herself to make sure that they were nice and comfortable and had pretty things to look at whilst they carried on with their business.

The Cavallone Boss was admiring the view when a black sedan pulled up to the massive driveway and parked. _Finally, _he thought, getting up to collect the Varia swordsman. Reaching for the car door, Dino opened it and greeted him with a cheerful smile. **"Yo, Squalo," **he said upon seeing the shark's head emerging from within the sedan. **"Long time no see. Say, did your hair get longer?" **

However, his goodwill was met with an annoyed glare. **"Fuck off, Cavallone. What are you doing out here anyway?" **

** "Enjoying the scenery, and—oh." **He stopped short when he saw the door on the side open and close. **"Well this is interesting. Who's our little guest?" **

The white-haired swordsman need not say more. As the little guest stepped up to the curb next to Squalo, Dino couldn't help but smile. It's been so long since he'd last seen him. _He's got to be about eight now, _he thought, marveling at the little boy. Angelo may have inherited all his father's hard features but it was Mira's eyes that softened it all. _Oh, the wonder of genetics…_

The boy looked at him through scrutinizing eyes, probably determining whether he was a friend or foe. After a while, he reached up to tug at Squalo's jacket. **"Is he one of mom's friends?" **he whispered loudly.

At first, the question didn't seem to register with the swordsman. **"What? Oh, yeah. He and your mom go way back." **

Angelo nodded and fixed his gaze on Dino once again. Then a polite little smile bloomed on his face as he held out a hand to him. **"Hello, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Angelo, by the way."**

** "I know who you are," **he said, chuckling slightly at the kid's politeness. It was just so endearing. One would think living in a house full of assassins would tarnish the idea of manners, but the boy seemed to have held on to them pretty well. **"My name's Dino. But you can call me Uncle Dino too, if you want." **

Beside him, Squalo looked like he was about to start slicing things to ribbons out of sheer impatience. **"VOII, I'd hate to break up this little reunion, but don't we have a meeting to go to?" **he said, glaring daggers at the Cavallone Boss. **"I didn't drive all the way here just for a fucking meet-and-greet. C'mon, let's just get this over with." **

The white-haired shark brushed past Dino and walked on inside while the other two remained standing at the curb of the driveway. Looking from Angelo to Squalo and back again, Dino finally made his decision. **"Hey, you know what, could you please just tell Romario to sit in for me? I'll stay here and watch Angelo for you." **

Squalo stopped in his tracks for a moment. Dino was expecting him to say no, but something completely different came from the Varia swordsman's mouth. **"Do as you wish, Cavallone."**

It was the best thing he'd heard all day. And by the time Squalo disappeared behind the mansion's door, he finally had Angelo all to himself.

* * *

He couldn't quite explain it, but for some reason, being around the blonde man named Dino made him feel…comfortable. The book that Lussuria had given him for his birthday served as something of a security blanket and always carried it with him whenever possible, but for that day, he felt like he didn't need it to serve that purpose.

As Squalo headed to the meeting, Angelo was left standing on the driveway with Dino. Almost instantly, the blonde man turned his attention to him. **"That's an awfully big book you've got there, Angelo," **he said with a hint of a smile. **"What's it about?" **

**"Just a bunch of stories by the Grimm Brothers." **Angelo stroked the red leather spine lovingly. **"Uncle Lussuria gave it to me for by birthday about a week ago." **

**"Really, now? That's nice of him." **Something akin to an apologetic expression crossed the blonde male's face as he knelt in front of Angelo, meeting him at eye-level. **"If I'd known it was your birthday, I would've sent you something too. Maybe I can make it up to you. Hey, how about I read you a story?"**

Angelo brightened up almost immediately. Other than Lussuria, people back at the Varia mansion rarely offered to read to him, so this kind of attention was more than welcome. Wasting no time at all, he nodded vigorously, eliciting an amused laugh from the blonde man.

**"Alright, kid, you got it. C'mon, let's go over there." **

Dino led him to a garden nearby towards a wooden bench sitting under a canopy made of the branches of a willow tree. As soon as they sat down, Angelo situated himself close to the Cavallone Boss, quickly scanning the book for a story he wanted to hear. A few minutes later and the sound of pages flipping stopped and his finger pointed at an elaborate watercolor picture of the girl with flowing golden tresses locked inside a tower. **"This one, please." **

** "Ah, Rapunzel." **The blonde man smiled, nodding approvingly at the child's decision. Clearing his throat, he began his story. **"Once upon a time, there lived a couple in a far away land, a husband and a wife, who wanted a baby more than anything in the world, but they just couldn't have one. Behind their house was a—" **

**"Hey, Uncle Dino?" **Angelo tilted his head slightly, looking rather confused. With all the time he spent flipping through the Grimm's stories, they all seemed to have one thing in common—someone, somewhere, wanted to have a baby. However, a much bigger question was at hand. **"Where do babies come from?"**

** "…pardon me?"**

Angelo sighed and rolled his eyes. For some reason, adults say that a lot, especially when he starts asking questions. It's as if they weren't quite sure of how to answer; either that or they just weren't paying attention. Like that one time he asked Lussuria why he had tons of male mannequins in his closet. Or that time when he asked Levi why his facial hair stood up at odd ends. Neither one gave him straight answers (Lussuria banned him from exploring his room and Levi apparently "heard" the boss calling for him to do something); if it weren't for the guidance of his Uncle Bel, he probably would have never gotten any decent answers. Sure, the knife-throwing assassin's theories weren't all that credible, but it was certainly a start. Anything was better than nothing at all.

The child then repeated his question. He really did want an answer and not just some twisted Bel theory to stand in as a substitute. Besides, he wondered where he came from too. **"I mean, they have to come from **_**somewhere**_**, right?" **

At that point, Dino began shifting uncomfortably in his seat. After a while or so of clearing his throat profusely, he chuckled nervously, loosening his tie just a bit. **"You know what? You should probably let your dad explain that to you when you get home."**

That was actually…not a bad idea. At least now he and his father can have something interesting to talk about, right? Angelo nodded happily towards Dino. **"I think I will. Thanks! Oh, and please continue with the story," **he said, grinning as he tapped expectantly at the page.

The blonde man nodded, continuing where he left off. **"So behind that couple's house was a garden with the finest rampion in the land…but there's a catch. You see, that garden was owned by an evil and powerful witch. One day, the wife was looking out of her window and she saw the rampion, looking so fresh and delicious, and she suddenly wanted to have some—so badly that she told her husband that if she could not have them, she would die." **

When Dino paused for dramatic measure, Angelo's blue eyes widened in anticipation. **"Well, what happened then? Did the wife get what she want?" **

** "Yes, but it was at a price. After the husband, climbed over the wall the first time and got some rampion, his wife made him go back a second time because she wanted more. But as he was climbing back over the wall, the witch caught him. The man begged for his life as well as some of the rampion he had already stolen. However, the witch wanted something in return. Can you guess what it is?" **

Angelo pursed his lips for a moment and came up with an answer. **"His house? It would make for good collateral until he can pay off the witch." **

Dino regarded the kid with an amused expression. **"Where'd you learn about that?" **

**"Uncle Mammon talks a lot about money and how to get it." **The boy shrugged, unaware of how the blonde man was looking at him at the moment. **"So was I right?" **

The Cavallone Boss chuckled but shook his head. **"Close enough though. What the witch wanted was the baby that the wife was going to have. Sure enough, a beautiful baby girl was born to the couple. The husband and wife had just enough time to name the baby Rapunzel before the witch took her away from them forever." **

Angelo stared at the painted girl in the picture with her lovely locks of gold. In one night, she lost both her mother and father. He considered himself lucky to at least have one living parent, even if that one was always so preoccupied with work and was too busy to deal with him. For a moment, he wondered about his mother, about her parents, his grandparents. **"Hey, Uncle Dino?"**

** "Yes?"**

** "Uncle Squalo said you and my Mom were old friends. What happened to her parents? Er…my grandparents? Are they still alive?" **

The child was a bit hopeful, but upon seeing the blonde man sadly shake his head, he knew he had to abandon it. **"They died in a fire. Mira was just a little girl, probably around your age, maybe a year or two younger."**

So he had no grandparents either. Well, that was fine. He had a bunch of people to call uncles and aunts and he was rather sure that none of them were directly related to him. He looked up at Dino, saw the sadness that now clouded his brown eyes and the child thought that he might have done something to offend his new friend. **"Um…so what happened to Rapunzel after the witch took her?" **

Changing the subject seemed to help because Dino began to get on with the story again. **"By the time Rapunzel was twelve, she'd grown so beautiful that the witch feared that someone might steal her away. So the witch built a tower that had neither steps nor a door, just a small window, and locked little Rapunzel in it. Every night, the witch would visit her and yell, 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let down your hair!' And from that little window, Rapunzel would let down her beautiful, long hair so the witch could climb up to the tower."**

Angelo winced slightly at the idea of a grown woman clinging on a young girl's hair. **"That sounds painful. But I bet Uncle Squalo could do it. He's stronger. And he never cuts his hair." **

The comment got a laugh from the Cavallone Boss. **"I guess so. Then again, he isn't half as pretty as Rapunzel. Now, where were we?" **

**"Old witch climbing up a hair rope."**

** "Ah, yes. So that was how Rapunzel lived for a long, long time, until one day, the King's son went riding in the woods. It was daytime then, a time when the witch wasn't around because she only came at night, and it just so happened that the prince came upon the tower and heard Rapunzel singing. He wanted to know her so bad that he stood by, hiding in the woods, waiting to her hear voice again. That was when the witch came by again, yelling the same command. As the witch came and went, the prince realized that that was his only ticket to meet the source of that lovely voice. And so the next day, he stood at the foot of the tower, yelling out the same command he'd heard the witch utter when she was there the other night. And did you know what happened next?" **

Angelo nodded gleefully. **"Rapunzel helped him get up the tower!" **

Dino nodded approvingly. **"Exactly. Now Rapunzel, who had never seen a man before, was enchanted with the prince, and him with her. Almost instantly, the two fell in love and they devised a plan to get her out of the tower. Every day, he was to bring her a piece of silk rope so that she can make a ladder out of it, climb her way to freedom, and marry the prince."**

** "The prince had no problem fulfilling his part of the plan. However, Rapunzel never got a chance to fulfill hers. She had accidentally mentioned the King's son to the witch, you see, and she became furious. In her anger, the old witch cut Rapunzel's beautiful hair and cast her into a desert. But she wasn't done yet. Oh, no…"**

Angelo drank in every word he said, his blue eyes wide with expectation. **"She's horrible, that witch. If she took a pair of scissors to Uncle Squalo's hair, he would've made sushi out of her!" **

The Cavallone Boss laughed at the boy's quip. **"You're still on that?" **

The sapphire-eyed boy shrugged his small shoulders. **"His is the longest I've ever seen." **

Shaking his head in amusement, Dino nonetheless continued with the story. **"That night, the prince came to the tower in search for his beloved, planning to finally take her away with him. He called for Rapunzel to let down her hair; golden tresses fell from the window. But when he climbed up, he found someone else in her place—the old witch. She told him that Rapunzel was in a faraway place, somewhere he could never reach her or see her again. Distraught, the prince threw himself from the tower and landed on the thorn bushes below, putting out his eyes. Blind and broken-hearted, the prince wandered for years until he came upon the desert. That was where he heard a familiar voice singing…"**

* * *

_What a curious little boy, _he thought, smiling as he watched Mira's son walk away. When Dino finished the story, the two didn't have much to talk about other than Mira. The Cavallone Boss was only too happy to recount every fond memory he had of her, which was plenty. However, he didn't have get to tell all of them since they'd run out of time; the meeting was over and Squalo came back to collect him. **"Next time we see each other again, I'll tell you more about her," **he said just as the boy got up from the bench.

Angelo smiled and nodded, then ran to the Varia swordsman who then led him back into the car they came in. As he watched the shiny black sedan speed out of the driveway, the boy's words echoed inside his head. _"I think I'd be like Rapunzel's dad. Or the prince. I'd do anything to get my mom back. I…miss her." _

Dino sighed, looking up at the willow canopy overhead. The branches looked sturdy, good for climbing. Mira would've loved them. After all, she did love climbing trees when they were children.

**"Me too, kid," **he whispered to no one but himself. **"Me too." **


	5. Little Red Riding Hood

**Little Red Riding Hood**

Levi hated doctors. He didn't know what it was about them that made him so…shifty. Perhaps it was the way they all dressed in white as if they were scared of dirt. Maybe it was because they all seemed to know everything, or at least pretend to. Or maybe it was because they had such nimble fingers, handling syringes and whatnot, and for a clumsy guy like him, he just couldn't pull off anything like that. They were everything he wasn't—pristine, wise and gifted with such dexterity. As he stood guard outside Angelo's bedroom, he was so sure that there was a particular word for what he was feeling.

He heard footsteps approaching. By the time he looked at the source of the sound, he finally remembered. Envy. Yes, that was it. And here he comes now, gleaming in his pure white suit, looking as suave as ever. Levi scowled at the man in annoyance, turning his thoughts to the God of his existence, Xanxus. _I bet if Boss wore white, he'd look ten times cooler than this mosquito-wielding bastard._

**"Oi, oi, don't tell me you need shots too," **said Shamal as he got closer. **"The kid's a special case, but my practice still hasn't changed. I refuse to treat men, especially…" **The white-suited doctor looked him up and down, lip curled back in slight disgust.** "…you." **

Levi took the insult to heart, his face growing more sullen by the minute. **"What the hell is wrong with me?" **Fuming, he shook his head anyway and jerked a thumb towards the door. **"Oh, forget it. He's waiting for you. Get in there, do your job, and get out." **

**"Don't have to tell me twice." **The doctor reached for the door, but the thing swung open by itself, held back by a small hand.

An enthusiastic pair of blue eyes looked up at him, smiling. **"Good morning, Doc." **To the hulking mass of hair and man standing at the door way, he said, **"It's alright, Uncle Levi. You can leave us now. I'm sure you've still got work to do." **

He was put in such good spirits, glad to be addressed by a smaller version of the Boss in such a friendly manner, but he still didn't feel at ease leaving him with the womanizing doctor. **"Call for me if you need anything," **he said warily. With one last hateful glare at Shamal, the Thunder Guardian turned on his heel and left.

* * *

Shamal watched as Leviathan walked away, then turned back to the Angelo, only to find the boy looking at him reproachfully. **"What?" **he said indignantly. **"I didn't say anything." **

"**I heard you earlier. You pick on him too much, Doc." **Angelo sighed exasperatedly, pouting. **"One of these days, Uncle Levi just might pull one of his umbrellas on you."**

The two sat on the large, four-poster bed—Shamal, with some of his medical equipment sitting right next to him, and Angelo, with his beloved book that he was rarely without. The doctor had already pushed up the sleeve of his shirt so a whole arm was bare and he was now cleaning the spot where the needle was to make its mark with rubbing alcohol. Upon hearing the child's statement, he paused momentarily to raise a disbelieving eyebrow at Angelo. **"And you think he can actually hurt me?" **

Mira's child shrugged, looking rather unsure. Now there was a trait straight from his mother—at least that's what the Shamal guessed, anyway. Come hell or high water, Xanxus would never be seen looking indecisive. In fact, only a handful of people knew what was going on in that head of his, and even they weren't absolutely certain of anything. **"I don't know," **the boy replied. **"Uncle Levi's strong, and I heard you are too. What do you think, though? Can he?" **

Shamal resumed rubbing alcohol on his skin, the hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. **"You're a piece of work, kid," **he said, his voice tinged with amusement.

A few minutes later, Shamal finished prepping the boy's arm for the vaccine. He then dug around his bag for the syringe, looking at Angelo from the corner of his eye the whole time. Likewise, the kid watched with the same intensity, but his blue-eyed gaze was directed towards the leather bag as if something horrifying was about to come out. The doctor smirked, drawing out the whole process, rummaging some more when he'd already gotten hold of the syringe ages ago. Finally, his hand resurfaced from the abyss of the bag and he waved the syringe in front of Angelo's nose. **"And here I thought I'd lost it. Good thing it's here, huh?" **

The boy's expression was anything but elated. However, there was dread, annoyance and even a touch of disappointment. **"Oh, great," **he deadpanned, wincing ever so slightly as Shamal made a show of taking the cover off the needle. **"Can you just hurry it up already? I want to get this over with."**

** "Woah, patience, young grasshopper. Can't you see I'm trying to work my magic over here?" **he said, smiling knowingly. **"It's like trying to get a woman. You gotta work slowly, but surely." **

This seemed to have piqued Angelo's interest because the boy tilted his head to the side, regarding Shamal with a look of curiosity. The doctor would have been more than happy to entertain any question he had about the opposite sex; however, there was no way he could've predicted the next thing that came out of the kid's mouth. **"Is that how Dad got Mom?" **

The mosquito-wielding assassin sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. At one point, he wondered about the same thing too. How _did _Xanxus get Mira? Lord knows that there wasn't a single inclination towards romanticism in that man. Then again, Mira was strange, too. He remembered the last time he saw her. It was time for her monthly check-up, weeks before the accident. Motherhood hadn't destroyed her one bit; if anything, her only flaw had been the burn mark on her shoulder. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why she'd want to marry the man who scarred her in the first place. Dino would've been a much better match. When he asked her about it, she only laughed and shrugged, providing no answer at all. _I guess it's just something we'll never know, _he thought. To Angelo, he said, **"Beats me, kid. Some things in this world you just don't even question anymore." **

The child seemed to accept the answer, but now his attentions have reverted back to the syringe. **"Umm, Doc?"**

** "Yeah?" **Shamal already had the needle poised to break skin, but stopped when Angelo spoke up again.

**"Do I really have to do this?" **

He wasn't the first child he treated. Back in the day, he treated the Gokudera siblings, Bianchi and Hayato and other children of esteemed Mafia families. One look at Angelo's face told him everything he needed to know; the boy hated getting shots and would avoid them if possible. Shamal sighed and stared at the child calculatingly. Then his gaze fell on the red leather book sitting right next to him. **"Yes, Angelo, it's necessary. Look, if you just sit still for a minute, I promise it won't hurt as bad. Alright? Do that and I'll read you a story when we're done." **

Angelo pondered for a moment and then nodded. It was a good enough deal. And so, bracing himself, he looked away from Shamal and screwed his eyes shut. **"Okay, go. But make it quick." **

The syringe had merely been a front. So was the prepping with the alcohol. While he was still talking to Angelo, Shamal had released one of his mosquitoes carrying the shot on the child, so he was as good as vaccinated. And the best part was that he didn't feel a single thing. The doctor sat there, feeling impressed with himself as he announced, **"Done. See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" **

As if waking up from a nightmare, Angelo opened his eyes again and quickly turned to look at his arm. Inspecting a patch of flesh for any marks and finding none, he looked up at Shamal with wide-eyed wonder as if the doctor had just performed a miracle. **"I didn't even feel anything…" **he mused.

**"Yepp." **_And so my job here is done. _Just as he was about to leave, he felt a small hand grab onto his jacket, latching him in place. Shamal groaned, raising his head up to the ceiling as if someone would be able to hear him. **"Oh, kid, what is it now?" **

Blue eyes stared at him unblinkingly, demanding his attention. **"You promised to read me a story when we're done. Well, we are done." **

Shamal looked down at Angelo, contemplating whether to keep his word or not. Finally, after a long pause, he sat back down on the bed and grabbed the red leather book. _You owe me one, Mira, _he thought, flipping through the pages till he found a random story. **"Alright, Little Red Riding Hood. You okay with that?"**

Angelo nodded animatedly and stared down at the picture of a little girl with the bright red hood. With the silence that ensued, Shamal took that as his cue to begin. **"Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was loved by everyone who met her and she was called Little Red Riding Hood because…" **He gestured towards the picture in an attempt to avoid wasting breath on the obvious. **"…well, you can see why. So anyway, Little Red's mom gave her a basket filled with goodies that she was to take to her grandmother who lived deep in the forest. 'Stick to the path so grandma can get her goodies', her mother said and after that, Little Red was on her way to the forest to complete her delivery."**

** "As soon as Little Red entered the forest, there was someone waiting for her. Someone evil and wicked, but of course she didn't know that so she wasn't afraid of him. It was the Wolf and he asked her a bunch of question. Now, Angelo, this is why you don't talk to strangers."**

** "Strangers come up to me all the time. But don't worry, Uncle Levi said he'd destroy them for me. Which was better than Uncle Bel's suggestion," **he said, matter-of-factly.

Shamal could only imagine what the crazy prince would say to a child, but he asked anyway. **"And what exactly **_**did **_**Uncle Bel have to say on the matter?"**

** "Just kill them." **Ignoring the bemused expression on the doctor's face, Angelo nudged him to continue on with the story. **"So what did kind of questions did the Wolf ask Little Red?" **

Shamal cringed at the idea of a blood-spattered Angelo, eliminating whoever stood in his way. Looking at the child, the idea seemed a little too far-fetched, but then again, nothing was impossible under the tutelage of Varia. **"Try not to be the cause of any funeral before you hit puberty, kid. Knocking them out would work just fine." **He cleared his throat and focused on the story, trying to get some sanity back in the room. **"Okay, so the Wolf came up to Little Red in the forest, right? Well, he asked her a bunch of question, like what she was carrying, who she was carrying them for, and where she was going. Little Red, not knowing about the Wolf's wickedness, answered honestly. But the Wolf had an ulterior motive. You know what that means, right?" **

Angelo nodded. **"It means they have their own agenda. Uncle Mammon said things like that happen when people don't get paid well." **

_What the hell are they teaching you here? _The doctor wondered. He could only sigh and hope that the kid won't take any of uncles' teachings to heart. Otherwise, they could have a future pain-in-the-ass brewing in their hands. **"No, the Wolf was just hungry. Okay? Don't be greedy like that floating baby. So anyway, the Wolf told Little Red about a field of flowers somewhere in the forest, and if she'd just get off her path for a bit, then she can get them for her grandma. Always eager to please, Little Red did as the Wolf told her to do. That's when he went straight for Grandma's house, ate her up and took her place, waiting for Little Red to come through the door any minute now." **

Angelo wrinkled his nose in disgust. **"Ew. He ate an old lady. That's like eating beef jerky, isn't it?" **

For some reason, he thought he sounded more and more like his mother with each passing day. Strange, considering how the boy had the makings to be a mini carbon-copy of Xanxus, but with blue eyes. Putting those thoughts aside, Shamal continued on with the fairytale. **"So the Wolf waited on Little Red's grandma's bed until she arrived. Little Red, on the other hand, felt scared for some reason, which was strange since she loved being in Grandma's house. Nevertheless, she sat at beside grandma's bed…and that's when she noticed. 'Oh, grandmother, what big ears you have!' – 'All the better to hear you with.' – 'Oh, grandmother, what big eyes you have!' – 'All the better to see you with.' – 'Oh, grandmother, what big hands you have!' – 'All the better to hold you with.' – 'Oh, grandmother, what a horribly big mouth you have!' – 'All the better to eat you with!'" **

For that single dialogue in the story, Shamal indulged the boy, speaking in two different voices to indicate Little Red and the Wolf. He'd never been much of a storyteller to kids, but Angelo seemed to enjoy it. Giggling, he said, **"You sound insane. Uncle Levi might actually think there's someone else in here." **

Sure enough, there was a knock at the door, followed by a frantic need for confirmation that could only belong to one person. **"Young master? Are you alright in there?" **said Levi, his voice muffled. **"I heard voices!" **

Both Shamal and Angelo looked back at the door and then to each other, hands clamped over their mouths to hush the sound of laughter. **"I think he might break the door down this time," **Angelo whispered conspiratorially. **"Can we hurry this up? I still want to get to the ending." **

The doctor nodded, smiling in delight as he found an ally in the child to pick on the lumbering Varia Thunder Guardian. **"So after Little Red and her Grandma got eaten, the Wolf took a nap. He was snoring so loudly that he attracted the attention of a passing huntsman who then got curious and entered the house. See, he'd been hunting the Wolf for a long time now, and seeing him on that bed, he knew he'd already eaten Grandma. So the huntsman took out a pair of scissors and, in an attempt to save her, cut open the Wolf's belly. Out of it came Little Red and Grandma, both alive! Luckily, the Wolf remained asleep and so all three of them—Grandma, Little Red and the Huntsman—put stones in his stomach and sewed him back up. Then the Wolf woke up, tried to run away and—"**

A loud bang came from the door, followed by the sight of Levi crashing through and landing right on top of a door completely ripped off its hinges. Angelo, who was actually startled by such the sudden appearance, could only look at him with wide eyes. **"Young master, I—"**

_Clumsy to the very end, _he thought, smirking as he did so. **"And there's your Wolf," **said Shamal with such finality and a gesture of finesse that the child only grinned up at him. **"I think you know how that one ended." **Ruffling the kid's hair one last time, Shamal was ready to take his leave, but not before stepping over sprawled-out Levi. **"Till next time, kid," **he said, raising his hand goodbye.

**"Bye, Doc!"**

* * *

Back in his own home, Shamal stared at the results of a check-up that had taken place two years ago. The last time he saw Mira. Prior to that, he'd advised her to take it easy and try not to strain herself. It wasn't that she was sick, but rather, she carried precious cargo with her. Or rather, within her.

She told him that Xanxus doesn't know and that she was going to wait till she was actually showing to tell him about it. Find the right time to drop the bomb, she said. Shamal remembered telling her that it probably won't happen until she was well into the second trimester considering her physique. Between the two of them, no one else really knew about it. And he never told anyone, even after the accident.

Shamal's gut feeling leaned towards the idea of a baby girl. He thought having a daughter would suit her. That little girl would've been loved by everyone, maybe even her temperamental father. Angelo would've been a great big brother. Maybe Mira would've even let him treat her daughter and he would get to watch her grow up into a lovely young lady…

_Well, I guess we'll never know now, will we?_

* * *

_**Can you imagine Xanxus with a daughter? O.o**  
_


	6. Godfather Death: Part I

**Godfather Death: Part I**

All of a sudden, he felt like he was in middle school again, playing the game he always loved—baseball. Eyeing the batter who stood a couple yards away from him, Yamamoto was ready to deliver his killer curveball. It didn't matter to him at all that his opponent was only ten years old and a novice at the sport; showing him something that could happen in a real game would teach him a thing or two, right? And so he pitched, sending the ball flying towards the batter at breakneck speed…

_Thwack! _The sound of connecting impact, music to the Vongola swordsman's ears. Angelo, who was outfitted in the baseball gear Yamamoto had sent him for his birthday, took off his helmet momentarily to watch the ball soar in the other direction. It remained in the air for some time until finally dropping down to the ground just a few feet away from the one who threw it. Jogging over to it, Yamamoto retrieved the ball before making his way back to Angelo. **"Not bad, kid," **he said, smiling as he ruffled the boy's hair. **"At least you didn't dodge it this time, right?" **

However, Angelo didn't quite share his sentiment. Frowning, he looked down at his bat in disappointment. **"Yeah, but it still didn't go as far as when you hit it." **

**"Ah, that's okay. You're still pretty small, after all," **he chuckled, grinning down at him. Despite the fact that the kid had grown since their first meeting in Japan, Yamamoto still saw him as the three-year-old boy who was almost always clinging to his mother.**"Don't worry, though. Someday you'll get bigger and stronger. Till then, I'll teach you everything I know about baseball!"**

Angelo giggled, the lightness of it reaching all the way up to his eyes. Seeing him like that, it was hard to believe that he was Xanxus's son. However, in his head, he will always be Mira's son and his little brother due to a promise he made to her a long time ago. **"That'd be great," **the boy exclaimed, looking up at his mentor. **"Of course, you'd probably have to fight Uncle Squalo tooth and nail for it." **

The Vongola swordsman smiled sheepishly. **"You're probably right about that." **

Getting the kid out of the Varia mansion wasn't exactly a cake walk, considering how Squalo had been against it at first. However, when Angelo pitched in, practically begging the long-haired man to let him go, he had to choice but to cave in. Especially when the kid was already raring to go to Xanxus and get permission from _him._ Sour-faced, Squalo himself delivered Angelo to him the next day, saying something about returning the kid in one piece…or else. The Japanese swordsman merely waved it away with a laugh, finally glad to be able to spend some quality time with his little brother.

After a couple more rounds of pitching, they finally ran out of baseballs so they decided to gather the ones they scattered all over the park and put them back in the bucket they came in. **"Alright, I think this is the last of them," **said Angelo as he dropped an armful at Yamamoto's feet. With a sigh, he too, dropped to the ground and just stayed there.

"**Oi, Angelo, what's wrong?" **

"**I'm starving," **he whined, sounding a bit like Lambo. **"Can we go eat already?" **

As if on cue, Yamamoto's stomach rumbled quite audibly. **"No arguments here," **he said, chuckling as he patted his midsection. **"What do you say we get some pizza?"**

* * *

If there was anyone else he admired more than his parents, it was probably Yamamoto Takeshi. He was nice, strong, funny and at one point, he even asked his mother if she could adopt him so they can officially be brothers. Back then, she refused his request with a laugh, saying something about how his father wouldn't appreciate it if she adopted a Vongola Guardian to be her son. When he asked why, she only said that it was a rather complicated situation to deal with. She'll explain it to him someday, she said.

Of course, she wasn't around to do that anymore.

Sitting across from him, he watched as his big brother annihilated his half of the pizza. Finally noticing that a pair of blue eyes had been staring at him for quite some time, Takeshi stopped at mid-chew and looked at Angelo quizzically. **"What's wrong, kiddo? I thought you liked pepperoni." **

Angelo looked down at his plate, which still had three slices left, as opposed to Takeshi's which was virtually empty save for some crumbs. **"Oh, I love it. Thanks, by the way," **he said, picking out the small red circles and popping them into his mouth one by one.** "Hey, Takeshi?"**

** "Yeah?" **

**"Have you been to Mom's grave lately?" **

The Vongola swordsman nodded. **"I go there every chance I get and leave her those white flowers she used to love so much." **

** "Lilies, right?" **Angelo remembered how his mother used to always have them in her study. Freshly-cut and soaked in a vase, she said she liked how they smelled; he did too because soon enough, the scent clung to her skin and she seemed to leave a trace of those flowers everywhere she went. Sometimes, he would go into her study and sit in her old chair, imagining that the scent was still in the room. But alas, the lilies there have already wilted. Dead, just like the woman who used to love them.

Just then, the sound of a ringing cell phone snapped the kid out of his musings. **"Sorry, that's me," **Takeshi apologized as he fished around his pockets. Finally when he came up with it, he excused himself for a moment and took the call outside the restaurant.

Angelo wondered what was so important that Takeshi had to answer elsewhere. It was strange considering how he usually didn't mind talking in front of him. _Who could it be? _The boy wondered. A few minutes later and the Vongola swordsman returned with an offer the child simply couldn't refuse.

**"Would you like to go visit your mom's grave?"**

* * *

Everything was going as planned; per his instruction, Yamamoto had Angelo, and he believed his old friend was ready with the one thing that might be able to help them.

Now if only Xanxus would just cooperate…

It was a long shot, but Reborn was willing to try. If her death had been a normal circumstance, perhaps the Arcobaleno with the yellow pacifier might have just moved on. However, there was one thing that he'd never been able to put out of his mind.

Her body was never found.

* * *

Her grave smelled like lilies, a scent that Angelo had been so starved for that as soon as they got there, he sank to his knees in front of her headstone, careful fingers running over the white marble as if he was touching her face. Behind him, Yamamoto stood back, hands deep in his pockets. Even he couldn't lighten up a moment like this because he felt the same way. She'd always been like a mother to him and losing her felt just as bad as losing his own father. The Vongola swordsman couldn't help but wonder how the kid was holding up, so he placed a hand on his head as if to say, _I'm still here._

**"Thanks, Takeshi," **Angelo mumbled. Finally, the boy sat back, knees pulled up to his chest as he examined a silken petal that had fallen from the bouquet. **"These are fresh, right?" **

Yamamoto nodded, taking a set beside Angelo. **"Yep. Just the way she liked them." **

**"I see." **

The Vongola swordsman watched as the boy began to speak to the headstone as if she was still alive. **"Hey, Mom. Sorry I haven't been here in a while now. Uncle Squalo and the others have been pretty busy. Uncle Lussuria says Dad's probably still sad, that's why he hasn't been here to see you. But it's okay now. I'm here; Takeshi's here too."**

When Angelo looked back at him with a smile, Yamamoto knew the kid was going to be just fine. **"Hi, Mom," **he said, slightly waving at the headstone. **"Nice to see you. Again." **

The child continued to speak. **"So guess what, Mom? I'm ten now. I got lots of presents from a bunch of people. This one's one of them." **He gestured towards his baseball clothes and gear. **"It's from Takeshi. Oh, Uncle Lussuria got me something too." **Reaching for the gym bag behind him, Angelo pulled out a red leather-bound book.

**"So that's why it was heavy!" **Yamamoto chuckled as he playfully massaged his shoulder. Ever since their little practice session ended, he'd been carrying the bag for Angelo. **"I knew there was something other than the bat and the helmet in there." **

The boy smiled at him sheepishly. **"It's with me whenever I can bring it. But I'm glad I have it with me today so Mom can see it." **

The Japanese swordsman had never been a book-loving guy, but he couldn't help but wonder. **"What's it about?" **

**"Stories by the Grimm Brothers. They're actually pretty cool. Hey, Takeshi?" **

Blue eyes looked up at him expectantly. **"Hm?" **

** "Will you read me a story? I don't care which one. I just want Mom to hear at least one of them." **

Yamamoto had always found it a bit hard to say no to the kid. And so it began…

"_A poor man had twelve children and had to work day and night just to feed them. So when the thirteenth came into the world, he ran out into the highway, intending to ask the first person whom he met to be the godfather. The first person was God who he turned down because he thought he gave to the rich, and let the poor starve. The man didn't know how wisely God divides out wealth and poverty. Then the devil came to him but the man also turned him down because he deceives mankind and leads them astray." Then finally, he met Death, the one who makes everyone equal. Then the man said, "You are the right one. You take away the rich as well as the poor, without distinction. You shall be my child's godfather. Death answered, "I will make your child rich and famous, for he who has me for a friend cannot fail." The man said, "Next Sunday is the baptism. Be there on time." Death appeared as he had promised, and served as godfather in an orderly manner."_

_After the boy came of age his godfather appeared to him one day and asked him to go with him. He took him out into the woods and showed him an herb that grew there, saying, "Now you shall receive your godfather's present. I will turn you into a famous physician. Whenever you are called to a sick person I will appear to you. If I stand at the sick person's head, you may say with confidence that you can make him well again; then give him some of this herb, and he will recover. But if I stand at the sick person's feet, he is mine, and you must say that he is beyond help, and that no physician in the world could save him._

_However, his gift came with one last warning. Beware of using this herb against my will, Death said, or something very bad will happen to you."_

* * *

Xanxus absolutely abhorred guests. It was already enough that he was in the company of five fucking pieces of trash better known as his Guardians. So when his subordinates told him that an Arcobaleno had paid a visit to the Varia mansion, he was…well, surprised, to say the least. Which was absolutely rare, especially for a man like him. Still, he couldn't say that he _didn't _give a fuck about it. He was curious without being eager. _What could that cursed baby want from me? _

He sat on his favorite armchair in his study, waiting for his guest to arrive. In his hand was a glass of wine that had been refilled at odd intervals, thanks to incompetent underlings. For some reason, it always took about three or four of those useless wastes of fucking space to bring him some booze. Back then, it had only taken one and she was pretty damn good at her job. Of course back then, he didn't drink as much considering how she kept him rather occupied at times. On the floor, on his desk, on the very chair he sat on, even against the walls…

He barely even noticed the door opening a small gap, giving entrance to an infant with a fedora. **"You're looking well, Xanxus," **he said, moving to stand before the Varia Boss.

Reborn. Other than Mammon, he was the only other Arcobaleno that he acknowledged, because to use the word 'respect' would simply be a stretch for him. **"What do you want, Reborn?" **

** "Cutting to the chase already? Well, that's fine too." **

Xanxus closed his eyes in a feigned attempt to sleep, but there was just no way to filter out what the cursed infant was saying to him. Reborn went on about how Giannichi, Giannini's father, had developed a new invention and that he would explain it in further detail once he's garnered his cooperation. But even the world itself left a bad impression on the Varia Boss's mind. **"And why the fuck would I want to do that?" **

**"For her. For your son who's visiting an empty grave at the moment." **At Xanxus's piercing glare, Reborn added, **"Don't worry, he's safe with Yamamoto. I haven't told him a thing about Giannichi's new invention." **

Clearly the Arcobaleno planned everything out. And his son was to be kept in the dark about it, just as he was when they buried a casket weighted down by rocks. Only he, Reborn and the Ninth are haunted by its secret. They would've just left it alone, but nothing about it made sense. On the day of the accident, Mira was on her way to deliver something to the Vongola Headquarters when her car apparently collided with a gas-hauling truck. According to accounts of those who witnessed it, the impact caused an explosion that incinerated both drivers. However, when the fires have died down, only one burnt corpse was retrieved. 45, male, Italian, ordinary.

Definitely not his wife.

**"We could bring her back, you know," **said Reborn, snapping him out of his musings.

Could, he said. It wasn't a guarantee, but it was better than what they've had in the last two years—nothing. **"You trash had better be onto something," **he growled, rising from his chair. **"Or else I burn that weapon tuner and his whole goddamn workshop along with him."**


	7. Godfather Death: Part II

**Godfather Death: Part II**

** "**_It wasn't long till the young man became a famous physician. People came to him from all over and they gave him so much money that soon enough he became filthy rich. Then one day, the King got sick. The Physician was summoned and was asked if a recovery was possible. However, when he approached the bed, Death was standing at the sick man's feet, so no herb on earth would be able to help him. Then the Physician got a brilliant idea—he wondered if he could fool Death. He was willing to risk it thinking Death would let it go since he's his godson. So he took hold of the sick man and laid him the other way around, so Death was now standing at his head. Then he gave the king some of the herb and he was okay again. However, Death went to the Physician and made it clear that he was very angry. 'You have betrayed me,' he said. 'I will overlook it this time because you are my godson, but if you dare to do it again, it will cost you your neck, for I will take you yourself away with me.'"_

Angelo hung on to his every word, wide-eyed and attentive. **"That was pretty stupid of the physician, right? Making his godfather mad like that." **

Yamamoto nodded in agreement. **"True. But you'd be surprised what some men would be willing to do to get what they want."**

* * *

So far, so good. He'd gotten Xanxus out of the Varia mansion and now Reborn was leading him to Giannichi's workshop which was located underneath an old, dilapidated warehouse. As they walked past piles of scrap metal and rubble, an underground hatch opened up ahead, gaping like a mouth in the middle of the cluttered floor. **"This way," **said Reborn, hopping down the stairs that appeared beneath their feet.

Last time he looked back, the scowl on his face had never changed, not that he expected it will anyway. Heavy footsteps then followed him down the abyss that eventually opened into a long hallway dimly lit by the flickering lights of fluorescent bulbs overhead. Since Xanxus wouldn't speak and Reborn wasn't feeling particularly talkative, their walk had been a long and silent one until they finally got to the double doors at the end of the hallway. The Arcobaleno nudged one of the doors aside. **"It might be helpful to listen to what he has to say first before passing judgment," **he said, stepping aside so that Xanxus could enter.

But the Varia Boss merely glared at him as he walked by. **"I'll decide when to pass fucking judgment, trash," **he growled. **"Just make sure this is going to be worth my time." **

Reborn couldn't help but smirk, something he'd better do well to hide from his companion. For someone who seemed so disgruntled about being dragged all the way from his home, he sure wanted to have a guarantee that it wasn't for naught. Then again, it did concern _her. _Perhaps he really did give a damn about her? However, the Arcobaleno didn't analyze the matter any further. As soon as the door was shut behind them, he made his way to Giannichi who was busy tinkering with something on his worktable. **"Ciaossu." **

The weapons tuner regarded his little friend with a smile. **"Reborn, how nice to see you again." **To Xanxus, he nodded his head in acknowledgement and said, **"Sir, I don't believe we've been properly acquainted, it's—"**

Out of nowhere, Xanxus whipped out one of his guns and in a second, had it trained at Giannichi's head—locked and loaded. **"Get to the fucking point already, or I waste you." **

**"—a pleasure to meet you." **Giannichi coughed, looking to Reborn for some support.

The Arcobaleno simply made himself comfortable on the worktable instead. **"Better do as he says, Giannichi. He's absolutely serious." **

**"Right." **More coughing on the weapons tuner's part. Not that Reborn could blame him, of course. Xanxus wasn't exactly the kind to put others at ease in his presence.

And so Giannichi began his presentation, gesturing towards the large cylindrical chamber in the middle of the room. The contraption was made of steel save for the glass top that somehow lent it the appearance of a rounded coffin, except that it was filled with a bluish gel-like liquid. At its base, on the pedestal that held it about two feet off the ground, was a control panel with all sorts of buttons and levers. Giannichi, obviously proud of his new machine, couldn't help but admire it as he began to explain how it worked. **"My new invention, sir. It works the same way as the ten-year-bazooka…but with more constraints. It's still in its prototype stage, you see." **

Xanxus eyed the machine disdainfully. **"So it's basically a piece of shit," **he concluded, pointing his weapon once again. **"Die, trash." **

**"Wait." **Reborn then hopped on top of the chamber, his leather shoe-clad feet landing with a soft click on the glass surface. **"It holds promise, Xanxus. What Giannichi here is referring to is just a minor hiccup. Explain?" **

The Vongola weapons tuner nodded his head so vigorously that it practically rattled the man's brain. **"Why, yes, of course. Very promising, really. You see, the Time Chamber—oh, that's what I've decided to call it, by the way—not only allows one to go to the future, but also allows travel through time and space, whether it's past, present or future anywhere in the world. The only problem is that there's no way to predict how long you'll be in a certain time and location. But for that little dilemma, I have this." **Giannichi then went over to his worktable and picked up what he had been working on earlier—a thick, plain cuff made of platinum. Carefully, as if he was holding a rare jewel, he presented it to Xanxus. **"This will tell you how long you've got till you jump to another time period. Blue," **he said, indicating a small rectangular slot on one side of the cuff, **"means you can still stay. But then the light will change colors. From blue, it'll turn green, then yellow, orange and finally, red. Now, once it turns red, you need to knock yourself out somehow—alcohol would usually do the trick, but with your tolerance, I just made some pills that'll work faster, if you want them, that is—or the jump will be most uncomfortable." **

Reborn sighed, hopping down from his place on top of the chamber and onto Giannichi's shoulder. _Of course _he'd forget to explain the most crucial part of the process; he was getting a bit old, after all. **"I believe you forgot something," **he said, producing a small glass vial from his jacket.

**"Oh, that's right! Pardon me," **he said, laughing sheepishly. However, that silly smile was quickly wiped off his face after taking one look at Xanxus. **"Ahem. Sorry, sir. Anyway, this is how we'll be transporting you. That bracelet contains a tracker, by the way, and this is what you'll be following. Well, **_**drawn to **_**would be more like it." **He gave the little vial a shake, and from the looks of it, it seemed as if Xanxus recognized what it contained—blood. **"You see, people give off a unique life signature and it's contained within their blood. This sample was taken at least two years ago, the last time Mira got her blood work done. It's a good thing we managed to preserve it." **

**"You'd be able to observe her life. Past, present, future, or even one in a parallel dimension—watch out for those, by the way," **said Reborn. **"Wherever she's alive, anyway. Just keep contact with her to a minimum or not at all. She mustn't know of your existence until she's supposed to meet you. The main point to this is to find out what happened to her. Remember, we-" **

Ever since he got there, he used his words sparingly. However, this time, Xanxus began to speak. **"—don't have a fucking body. I know."**

** "So will you do it?"**

* * *

"_Soon afterward the king's daughter became very ill. She was his only child, and he couldn't bear the thought of losing her. Then he proclaimed that whoever heals her would become her husband and inherit the crown. When the Physician came to the sick girl's bed, he saw Death at her feet. He should have remembered his godfather's warning, but he was so infatuated by the princess's beauty and the prospect of becoming her husband that, once again, he disobeyed Death. He did not see that Death was looking at him angrily, threatening him with his withered fist. He lifted up the sick girl and placed her head where her feet had been. Then he gave her some of the herb, and her cheeks immediately turned red, and life stirred in her once again." _

**"Lucky girl," **whispered Angelo. **"But still…didn't Death already warn him? I bet he's really mad now." **

Yamamoto, on the other hand, had a different outlook on the story. **"True. But the opportunity was there, you know? And you just don't waste chances like that."**

* * *

After the large influx of information, Xanxus had to admit that he was getting rather tired of listening. And so he summarized just about everything Reborn and that crusty old man told him—time travel, blue is good, red means take a fucking emergency nap, and don't talk to Mira unless he can help it.

Simple as that. Why they had to waste their breath with tedious explanations was beyond him. _Fucking scumbags must really like the sound of their own voices, _he thought, instantly reminded of a certain white-haired, loud-mouthed swordsman.

That reminded him. He'd yet to complete his daily quota of throwing random shit at the stupid shark's head. But first things first…

**"Old man," **he growled, glaring at Giannichi. **"Give me those fucking pills **_**now **_**before I change my mind." **

He watched as the old weapons tuner ran off to retrieve what he had asked for. Then he cast one last disdainful glance at the chamber, with its glass top, metal body, and blue gel-like liquid sloshing around as the Arcobaleno turned on the machine.

They'd be putting him to sleep in that damned thing very soon…

* * *

Angelo came home just in time for dinner and, as usual, he ate with all the Varia members.

Except one, anyway.

As the child cut into his filet mignon, he couldn't help but steal glances at the empty chair at the head of the table. Everyone else was so silent—even his Uncle Lussuria—that he simply couldn't hold it in anymore and asked. **"Uncle Squalo?" **

The white-haired man paused for a moment, putting down his fork and knife. **"What?" **

**"Where's Dad?" **

**"Busy." **And then Squalo resumed eating, but now he was cutting into his meat much more viciously that before. Still, Angelo didn't stop staring at him. Feeling the boy's blue-eyed gaze still lingering, he yelled, **"VOIII, eat your food and go to bed! The fuck are you looking at anyway?" **

Angelo simply shook his head and kept on eating. Throughout that night, he never stopped wondering where his father was. Was it a mission? If it was, then he didn't hear about it, which was strange considering how much time he spent eavesdropping outside his father's room and study. Besides, if it _was _a mission, he would've taken everyone else with him. _Could it be that Dad has a mission of his own? _Even that was strange. He knew his Dad would rather sit in his armchair than be bothered by trivial matters. If he was to give that up then…_it must really be important._

That night, Angelo lay awake on his bed, his mind clouded by thoughts of his mother, his father, the silence of the uncles, and the ending of the story Takeshi told him while they were at his mom's grave earlier that day.

Death really didn't like being cheated.

* * *

In another room in the Varia mansion, someone else suffered the lack of sleep. And so he stayed up for as long as he could, polishing his sword till he can practically see his soul on it.

For the life of him, Squalo couldn't even begin to come up with a reason as to why Xanxus would go along with Reborn. He'd only been told of the Arcobaleno's arrival at the mansion and nothing more. He didn't pry, of course, thinking that the Boss would just throw his little ass back out on the street. But no...now the Boss was AWOL, and no one really knew why.

It was exceedingly strange. _That bastard better come back, _he thought, slashing once at a nonexistent enemy in his dark room. _Angelo already lost one parent. He doesn't need to lose the other one, too._

* * *

_**/AN:**  
_

_******Reviews, por favor? :3**_


	8. Swans

**Swans**

Waking up in the morning had never been his strong suit, especially when he was already dead set on making himself comfortable for the rest of the day. After all, being the Cavallone Boss wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Lots of things drew his attention away from the idea of relaxation. And so on those rare occasions when he wasn't needed to do much of anything, Dino was determined to make the most of it. Kick his feet up, throw all his cares to the wind, and sleep in till it was time for lunch…

That was the plan, anyway. But as soon as his phone rang, he knew he might as well forget it.

Groaning like a wounded animal, he opened one eye against the glaring light of his phone. The number that registered on the screen wasn't familiar to him; moreover, it was _five in the morning. _Unbelievable. _How can anyone be up at this time? _He thought, taking the call anyway. **"Hello?" **

** "Good morning, Uncle Dino." **

Almost instantly, his sleepiness left him, supplanted by curiosity and enthusiasm. It was a good thing that he remembered to leave the boy his number last time he saw him. In fact, Dino had been waiting to hear from him, although he certainly wasn't expecting it to happen as early as 5 a.m. Nevertheless, it was a welcome gesture and he greatly appreciated it. **"Hey, Angelo," **he said brightly, sitting up in his bed. **"You're up pretty early. Why's that?" **

On the other line, he heard the sound of a slight chuckle. **"I'm always up this early. Why, do you usually get up late?" **

Dino couldn't help but smile. So the kid was a morning person, huh? Strange, considering how neither one of his parents were like that. _Must be some genetic phenomenon. _**"If I can help it, yes. Do you usually make phone calls during this time?" **he asked, attempting to keep amusement from his voice but to no avail.

**"Nope," **Angelo replied, **"but I want to ask you something, though. Are you doing anything important today?" **

**"Actually, it's my day off." **He didn't even have to think twice about that one. Dino would've dropped everything for the kid, just as he would have done for his mother. **"Why, did you have anything in mind?" **

Before the boy could even voice out his request, Dino had already caved in and said yes.

**"Uncle Dino can you hang out with me today?"**

* * *

One moment, he was completely submerged in some blue liquid like an alien hatchling. After a sudden surge of electricity sent violent spasms throughout his body, Xanxus thought for sure that he was going to have to climb out of the Time Chamber and blast a fucking hole through Giannichi's face for inventing the stupid contraption and putting him in it. _Prototype, my ass, _he thought, ready to start swinging even though the electrical shock earlier rendered his body unconscious for a moment. Still, his mind was hell-bent on payback. _Fucking piece of trash screwed up and for that, I'll make him pay. _Groggily, he dragged himself up to a sitting position, his hands scraping against something rather abrasive…

Carpet?

For the first time since he opened his eyes, he was completely floored. Literally. The Varia Boss found himself sprawled on the floor of someone's room. Judging by the countless rows of shelves packed with books, he guessed that he was in a library. But the real question was _whose _library it was. The interior didn't look like anything he'd seen before. Everything else was unfamiliar, save for a vase of lilies sitting on a large wooden desk. It filled the room with its scent, reminding him of one other person who loved those flowers so much that she just had to have them around whenever possible…

Slowly, he stood up and walked around the library, inspecting it. When he found that there was nothing in there of importance, Xanxus prepared to leave when the door swung open, revealing a woman. Crimson eyes widened as her face registered in his mind.

_Mira. _

But no…it couldn't be her. The eyes were all wrong; they were grey instead of the blue he was used to. Other than that, she was the spitting image of his dead wife. **"Hello," **she said cheerfully, smiling at him. **"I don't think I've seen you around before. Oh, I know. You must be one of my husband's guests." **

Rarely was he ever rendered speechless by circumstances; however, this time would be one of them. _Husband, huh? _Then perhaps he didn't travel too far into the future. It was the past. The woman just had to be Mira's mother. The present conclusion made sense, of course. At least now he knew who she took after, though the realization didn't really prove anything. _This is fucking useless, _he thought. _I'm not here to meet in-laws._

Nevertheless, he had no choice but to answer her civilly. **"Yeah. Looks like I made a wrong turn when I came in here." **

**"That's fine." **That stupid, cheerful, Stepford wife smile. **"C'mon then, I'll take you back to the party. The birthday girl should be blowing out her candles soon." **

Xanxus followed the grey-eyed woman out of the library, his gaze boring into the back of her head with suspicion. She didn't ask for his name, but simply assumed that he was her husband's associate. Was she really that naïve and stupid? If that truly were the case, then she fit the role of a housewife to a T. Weak. Gullible. Docile. _Everything Mira wasn't. _

**"Emilia!" **

Xanxus watched as the grey-eyed woman turned to the source of the sound,—a red-haired male running towards them—responding to her name. So she was Emilia. It was the first relevant piece of information he gathered since his arrival at that time. Now that just left the redhead, who was now giving him a wary look as he skidded to a stop right in front of them. For a while, Xanxus held his gaze, unblinking, until the redhead turned his attention to Emilia once again. **"I can't find her. I swear I've been everywhere," **he said, breathing rather hard. **"Gianfranco's already asked for her. What are we going to tell him?" **

The cheerful smile was gone, replaced by something deep and pensive. However, when she caught Xanxus briefly glance down at her, it returned again, as bright and as fake as it was before. **"She must have gotten nervous after seeing all the people that came here for her," **she said, grinning sheepishly, although the expression never quite reached her eyes. _You're not fooling anyone. _Still, he decided that he wasn't going to call her out for it. **"Why don't you go on ahead without us? Straight down the hall and turn left," **she continued, already walking away from him. **"I've got to find my daughter." **

With that, she left in the opposite direction, the redhead following closely at her heels but not before he gave Xanxus yet another suspicious look—one lingering stare as if he really was trying commit his face to memory. The Varia Boss glared back, completely unperturbed, and turned on his heel to go where the party supposedly was. _Straight down the hall and turn left_. He did as Emilia instructed and he could already hear the distinct chatter of the guests when he felt another presence. Small, unthreatening, but a presence nonetheless. And it sounded like it was _crying. _

He knew he ought to just go on his way, but he couldn't help but wonder. And so Xanxus walked a few paces backwards, stopping just in front of a marble replica of Venus de Milo. After hearing a small hiccupping sob, his gaze traveled down towards the base of the statue, and there she was.

Messy silver-hair tied back with a blue ribbon that matched her dress and eyes, only those were brimming with tears as they looked up at him. In her hands she held a broken glass figurine of a swan that was missing a wing. **"Please don't tell my mom," **she said, her little voice slightly quivering. **"I just wanted to have something of hers. I didn't mean to drop it."**

Xanxus got down on his haunches, meeting her at eye level. With her knees pushed all the way up to her chest, she looked even smaller. Still, there was no doubt that it was _her. _He'd know those eyes anywhere. Briefly, his gaze left her face and settled down on the broken swan. Without warning, he picked up the fallen wing, his rough thumb casually stroking the smooth, detailed surface. Then he scowled at little Mira. **"Now why the f—" **he paused for a minute, not quite sure how he was supposed to talk to a little girl. _Goddamnit, she just had to be a fucking 10-year-old. _**"Why would you take something that isn't yours?" **

The little girl wiped her eyes with the back of her arm, sniffing. **"Renn said we're going back to Tuscany tomorrow. And it's going to be a long time before I see my mom again." **

**"Who the hell is Renn?" **He figured talking like that would be almost passable. Xanxus simply wasn't capable of wholesome speech.

**"The scary ginger man. Mom says he's supposed to protect me." **She hugged her knees closer and rested her chin on top of them. **"I don't like him. He says bad things about Papa."**

Xanxus remembered the red-haired man from earlier; so _that _was Renn. And this whole time, little Mira has been evading him, too. He thought back to the short exchange before Emilia went on her search for her daughter. 'Papa' would be Gianfranco, Boss of the Montecarlo Family. Based on what little he knew, the Montecarlo made plenty of enemies due to their excessive dabbling in politics, helping out those who they thought would be useful and disposing of those who were not in a decisive manner. Despite the success of their manipulations, they were an easy family to cut down because they mostly counted on government officials to protect them. It was a miracle that they weren't completely obliterated after multiple waves of attack from enemy families. However, it all changed when Gianfranco became Boss. Rumor has it that somewhere along the line, he just snapped and became a deranged recluse. The Montecarlo Family, in a way, turned into an armadillo, balling up to protect itself from outside forces. But the problem itself lay at the heart of their organization. Instead of an enemy taking over and destroying the Family, it imploded from within by a coup of an unknown instigator.

**"Hey, Mister?" **

Xanxus looked up, realizing he'd been staring at the swan's broken wing for a long time now and so he returned it to her. **"What?" **

She tilted her head to the side, her blue eyes glittering with childish curiosity. **"I've never seen you before. What's your name?" **Carefully, she put down her knees and laid the swan's broken pieces gently on her lap. Extending a hand towards him, she introduced herself. **"I'm Mira, by the way." **

_I know. _He remembered what Reborn told him back at the warehouse so he didn't bother introducing himself. Nevertheless, he shook her hand anyway. **"No one told you not to talk to strangers?" **

The little girl only laughed, her small mouth opening just enough to reveal pearly white teeth. **"It's okay, Mister. Besides, you're not very scary." **She then reached up to him, her fingers toying with his hair accessory. At first, Xanxus's inclination was to move away or take the child and throw her into the nearest wall; instead, he just sat there, watching as she marveled at her newfound plaything. **"I like your feathers, Mister. They're really pretty. I wish my mom would get me ones that look just like yours." **

Somehow, Xanxus couldn't help but smirk in amusement. **"Don't," **he said as he stood up, getting his feathers out of the child's reach. All the while little Mira gaped up at him as he pulled himself to his full height. **"They won't suit you." **

He kept walking towards the direction he was going earlier, towards the party. Without looking back at the little girl, he said, **"You better get to your party soon or they might blow your candles out without you." **

And with that, a small pair of feet followed behind him, headed to a roomful of people eager to see the birthday girl.

* * *

Apparently, Angelo's idea of hanging out involved scouring various antique shops and showing them his book. When Dino asked him why he was doing that, the boy only replied, **"I like old books, Uncle Dino. And I wanna know where Uncle Lussuria got mine. And…" **

They entered yet another shop and Dino was holding the door open for him as he paused. **"And?" **

**"I wanna find something for Dad so I can give it to him when he comes back." **

Dino watched as Angelo headed straight for the back, searching for the shop's owner. Somehow, he couldn't help but envy Xanxus; the man had everything he ever wanted and yet he took them for granted. Nevertheless, he said nothing. He was simply there to provide guidance and assistance to the boy should he ever need them, because heaven knows the people he lived with probably didn't give him enough of those things. Hands deep in his pockets, Dino headed to where Angelo was. Surprisingly enough, the boy wasn't talking to the owner as he'd done in all the other shops; instead, he lingered in front of a glass case, entranced by the trinket trapped in there. **"Dad probably wouldn't want that, but it's still pretty," **he said, his breath fogging up the glass.

Dino stood beside him to have a look at the trinket and shook his head, agreeing with the boy's previous statement.

It didn't look like it was Xanxus's style. That man would never want to have a glass swan with a broken wing.

* * *

**_/AN:_**

**_Yes, I am aware that this is a deviation from the fairytale-theme. Don't worry tho, there will be more Grimm stories to come...as soon as I find some really good ones, that is ^_^_**

**_Reviews?_**


	9. A Ruined Childhood

**A Ruined Childhood**

Something about the man with the feathers didn't seem right. Renn couldn't put a finger on it but he knew it was there. Though it was in his nature to be suspicious of everyone, there was something about that stranger that made him particularly…queasy. As he took the boss's wife aside for a private word, he asked, **"Who was that?" **

Emilia Montecarlo looked up at him, wide-eyed and naïve. She was a pretty woman, even for her age; obviously the boss only married her for her looks and ability to breed. Apart from that, she was weak, pliable like fresh clay—just the way Renn liked them. **"I don't know," **she replied. **"Must be one of Gianfranco's friends. Why?" **

They stood in a dark corner in the hallway where a wall sconce had burned out. They'd have to get that fixed later, but for now, there were more important matters at hand. His beady eyes scanned the area briefly, ears perked up to detect any small sound. When he was sure no one was within earshot, he whispered to Emilia. **"You need to be careful who you let into this house. The boss might have hired him to keep tabs on you. And Mira." **

**"But…no, I've been careful. There's no way he could've known. Oh god..." **The woman's eyes widened and Renn recognized the brand new fear behind them—it was driven by the desperate desire to shield her daughter at all costs, even from her father. _Especially from her father. _**"Renn, please. You have to act now. Take my baby away. Please, you can't let Gianfranco touch her!" **

When she panicked like that, it simply made him want to hit her. _Heaven forbid the daughter takes up after her. _Still, he knew better than to lay hands on the boss's wife. Otherwise, they would know and the plan would fall apart. He couldn't have that, not when they were so close to success. **"Hush now," **he said, embracing her. One hand reached up to stroke her hair and for a moment, it almost felt like he was holding Mira whenever she cried. _Since when did I turn into a goddamn babysitter? _He wondered. But just as soon as the thought occurred, it was dismissed. He was more than a babysitter. He was an ambitious man and the Montecarlo family was his prize. _Just a little more. _For now, he focused on calming the frantic mother hen in his arms. **"I'll keep her safe. Don't worry, I know what I have to do. We move tonight. Just leave everything to me, okay?" **

His lies flowed like poison honey into her hears and he knew she believed them wholeheartedly. After all, what choice did she have? She'd been afraid for too long. _And I'm her only hope._

* * *

Xanxus watched from the shadows as the little girl blew out her candles, all ten of them on a tiered cake that would've been the envy of every child. The Mira of this world had just turned ten, beloved by just about everyone she came in contact with. Though it may have been interesting to observe the younger version of his wife, he decided that she was pretty annoying; always asking so many questions and she never seemed to know when to shut up. It was a wonder, maybe even a miracle, that Angelo didn't turn out like that. With a drink in hand, a corner of his mouth tugged up into a smirk, reflected in the amber liquid. _His _kid was well-behaved, of course. Otherwise, he'd have the snot beaten out of him and he would learn, whether he wanted to or not.

At the sight of the other guests, she quickly forgot about him and she ran about the room, hugging this uncle, that godfather and this aunt. One in particular caught his eye, though he couldn't decide who he was to her. Little Mira simply ran up to him and the older man caught her in his arms and swung her around. He seemed to be in his late forties, with coarse blonde hair and beard to match. Xanxus knew it couldn't possibly be her father because when she pulled away from him, the little girl demanded, **"You promised you'd bring Dino! Where is he?" **

Instinctively, something in him made him roll his eyes. The Varia Boss would've groaned in disgust to but he was supposed to go unnoticed. _This fucking blows, _he thought. Obviously the man was used to traveling with an entourage, not alone. Crimson eyes settled on Dino's predecessor as he apologized to the birthday girl, wearing the same stupid smile as his son. **"Next time, okay? I'll bring him over another time." **

Little Mira pouted, but the slight was soon forgotten when the urge for cake took over. Dragging the older Cavallone by hand, he watched as she introduced her to the wonders of sugary confections and diabetes. God, she was a demanding little shit. Gianfranco obviously spoiled his only daughter. Still, it was a sight indeed, seeing her when her world was still right, when she was still happy. He remembered when he first met her; it was right after that bloodbath wedding of hers and she came to him seeking refuge and employment. He'd given her both and some more afterwards. But he couldn't help but wonder what would've been if she'd just gone through her first wedding without a fuss. Just then, Angelo's face sprang up in his head, only to disappear like diminishing smoke. Xanxus downed his drink, waiting for the buzz in his head to bring the image back. There would be no Angelo. And Mira…_probably fucking and breeding with that sorry Russian prick. _

Disgusted with the mere idea of it, he grabbed a bottle of champagne from a passing waiter and dismissed him with one of his trademark glares. It wasn't what he was used to but it would have to do. Just as he was about to pour himself a glass, another guest walked in, tall and towering, with a beautifully wrapped box tucked under his arm. This one wore an impeccable suit with a tie that matched his sapphire eyes and they glinted happily at the sight of the birthday girl attacking a piece of cake. Gray streaked his dark, slick-backed hair; he had the look of a kindly professor about him with those glasses pushed up his aquiline nose. Even from afar, the resemblance was unmistakable. _So that's where she got those eyes of hers._ His suspicions were only confirmed when Mira turned to him, but unlike any little girl, she didn't squeal in excitement at her father's arrival.

Instead she sat there, fork frozen in mid-bite as the man and his gift crossed the floor towards her. Picking her up, he made a show of it in front of his guests. For a moment, Xanxus contemplated throwing a glass at him but resisted the urge to do so. He continued to watch little Mira, seemingly hesitant at first, but then she decided to return her father's embrace. She forced herself to smile as he put her down and he mirrored her expression, holding her face in his hands. **"My sweet girl is growing up…too fast," **he said, almost regretfully.

From where he sat, she seemed very much like a porcelain doll as she kept silent and just stood there, happy face painted on and ready. She would've been convincing, except…_I know all your little tricks. _She would grow up to be his wife, for fuck's sake. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew her as well as he knew himself. Her pretenses might convince some but he could easily pick them apart. Mira could never lie to me. _And this one can't either. _

Reputation aside, Gianfranco was a suspicious bastard. He wasn't anything like Xanxus, but when your kid doesn't seem to want to be with you…_there's a fucking problem. Hell, I get along with my son better than that. _In that way, he was so like his mother; Angelo couldn't lie to him either and therefore, he didn't have to pretend. Whatever the problem was, Xanxus decided to ignore it for a while. His first trip in the Time Chamber had left him with a thirst and now he decided to quench it with the bottle of champagne. He continued pouring his drink and that's when the light on the bracelet caught his eye. _Not blue anymore…_

It was green.

* * *

They spent the day hopping from one antique shop to another and yet Angelo couldn't find anything that he'd want to give to his dad. Nothing seemed to suit the recipient in mind, but that wasn't quite a shock for Dino. If anything, he enjoyed it, spending quality time with Mira's son. **"You know, we've actually hung out before," **he mentioned as they exited the eighth shop they visited.

The boy's eyes widened in curiosity. **"When was this?" **

**"Oh, it was a long time ago. I think I made you breakfast and then we went to a playground in Japan." **The Cavallone Boss smiled, glancing down at the boy. He was tall for a ten-year-old but he could still see him as a newborn, small enough to be held in his arms. **"I found your mother again after she disappeared." **

** "She does that a lot, doesn't she? Disappear."**

Dino sighed a bit, wondering if he used the wrong word to describe her. Then again, perhaps it was accurate. Mira came and went as she pleased; she only really stayed when she felt like it. **"Don't hold it against her," **he said, ruffling the Angelo's hair. **"She had her reasons." **

A million and one of them, in fact, and Dino remembered them all. And each time, it was done out of fear or love, sometimes both. When they decided to take a break from their search, they hopped back into Dino's car and headed somewhere for lunch. Angelo sat up front with Dino, safe and buckled, when he said, **"Mom left me too, once. I was in a convent and I didn't get to see her for months." **

He looked at him from the corner of his eye, wondering if the boy held a grudge because of that. _Please don't hate her, _he was about to say, but then Angelo spoke again and reassured him. **"It's okay, though. She brought Dad when she came back for me. That was the first time I met him." **

The memory brightened the kid's face and Dino wanted nothing more than to keep that smile there, just as he would've done for his mother. But then something struck him as odd. **"Why are you looking for your Dad's gift anyway?" **he asked, simply because he had to know. **"Is it his birthday?" **

Angelo shook his head. **"Squalo says he went in a business trip. He must have left last night because he wasn't there during dinner." **

Dino looked on ahead, his face turning stone and solemn. Inside, however, the gears of his mind began to turn as he processed the new information. Xanxus and business trip just didn't fit together, much less one that he'd leave for in the dead of the night. For one, he knew the Varia boss never went on those "trips" by himself; it was his habit to send subordinates in his place. _Just what the hell is going on here…? _**"Is that so? Does Squalo know when he'll be back?" **

There was another shake of the head. **"He just said Dad had to take care of something important so he might be gone for a while."**

_Or maybe he doesn't know. _As he turned into an Italian restaurant, the Cavallone Boss made a mental note to speak with the swordsman later when he took the boy home. _He wouldn't leave his kid, _he thought. _Not when he's the only one Angelo's got._

* * *

When all the guests had gone, the Montecarlo family reverted back to its normal self, devoid of birthday trappings and courtesy. Like Cinderella on the stroke of midnight, everything became ugly again, including reality for the birthday girl. Screams echoed from the cold cellar walls, the terrible sound of it carrying on up the stairs and into the lonely hallway. It was a wonder her voice hadn't gone out yet, but perhaps that was her strength, manifested in the face of her pain. Her father just didn't know how to see it.

Renn descended down the stone steps to the cellar, with only a dim torch mounted to the wall to illuminate his way. It was the oldest part of the Montecarlo mansion. While everything else was renovated over the years, that part stayed the same, a testimony to the strength of the family. Old as they were, they kept to tradition and one of them entailed training their children who had inherited their powers down there, in that cold, dreary place. They'd been calling it a "training ground" for as long as Renn could remember and now the torch was being passed down to the poor daughter. A part of him couldn't help but feel sorry for her as he listened to her cries and pleas, knowing her father would never listen. Gianfranco was a headstrong man and he would beat this weakness out of his sole heir. _Only the strong prevail, sweet girl, _he thought as he turned a corner and beheld the most disturbing sight.

He'd seen it tons of times before and it never ceased to disgust him. Heavy manacles encircled her wrists and ankles, with only a small length of chain to between them to grant her a bit of movement. Gone were the pretty party dress and the blue ribbon in her hair. Naked as the day she was born, red lashes crisscrossed on her bare skin and she could only hunch over to protect herself. Gianfranco was especially relentless tonight with that riding crop, his "disciplinary tool" of choice. **"We've been over this already, Mira!" **he roared, walking around his daughter in a circle like a predator stalking its prey. Mira could only whimper pathetically, hugging her knees to her chest. Her silver head whipped this way and that, wary and afraid of the formidable riding crop. **"Breathe deeply and exhale. Like a dragon now. Do it!"**

"**No, Daddy, please, I can't!" **she wailed miserably, but Gianfranco wouldn't hear it.

The riding crop whipped across her face, knocking her down with a pained yelp. She sounded like a wounded pup, but puppies didn't have such impossible high expectations put on them. Bending slightly, Gianfranco breathed white flames from his mouth, like the dragon he described earlier. _Ah, so that's what he's trying to teach her, _Renn thought. He was the only Montecarlo capable of such a feat; no wonder he wanted her to learn it. Still, it was too lofty a goal, one that Mira could never hope to reach. Her father's flames reached her, licking at her skin and singing her hair. She screamed crawled helplessly away from it, her back hitting the wall. **"Daddy, please stop! It hurts!"**

"**Do you think it'll hurt any less when they try to kill you?" **he spat. He'd driven her to the wall and now he had her cornered; there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. For a moment, his voice grew soft as he held her bruised, tear-stained faced in her hands. **"You're ten now, sweetheart, and my daughter. Your weakness will kill you. Now show me something."**

A heaving sob wrecked through her small frame and she raised her shaky, fettered hands. A flame engulfed them and slowly it grew, covering her forearms…but Gianfranco wasn't impressed. He hit her barehanded this time, his knuckles making painful contact with her face as he backhanded her. **"I know what you're capable of, Mira! And that's not what I wanted!" **

She stayed on the floor this time, curled up like a fetus while her father stood over her, breathing hard. He'd been standing there for a while but now Renn decided to break his silence. **"Care to take a break, Boss?" **he asked nonchalantly, as if the man was just going through a particularly tough workout. **"At this rate, neither of you might be able to last."**

There'd always been a bit of a crazy gleam in the Boss's eyes; Renn noticed it when he first entered the family and it was there now. His sapphire eyes burned with unwavering pride and arrogance; as far as he was concerned, he was the strongest Montecarlo to ever rule the family and he wanted his daughter to take up after him. **"Nonsense," **he replied, but the red-haired man could see the slightest tremor in his hands as gripped the crop. **"She's my successor. She should be grateful that I'm training her." **Gianfranco wiped his brow, sweeping back a stray lock of hair. Feverish blue eyes fixed themselves on Renn's face, his pale cheeks flushed ever so slightly and he _knew_; the sick bastard got off on hitting his daughter. **"There are trials ahead of us, Renn."**

The red-haired subordinate nodded knowingly. **"Indeed, sir. Well, I'll leave you to it, then. Good luck." **As he turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of little Mira's face, wide-eyed through a sheet of matted silver hair. _Sorry, princess, but I can't hang about._

The cries resumed again when he started up the stairs and they grew louder in volume. Countless times he thought of bringing earplugs with him whenever he went down there, but no more. _Her training ends tonight. _At the top of her stairs, collapsed on the floor as she held onto the wall for support, was Emilia, weeping for the daughter she couldn't save. As Renn locked his gaze on her, he shook his head and she wept even harder. Emilia clutched her head in her hands, her frustration so great so was almost ready to tear her hair out. **"I'm so, so sorry," **he whispered, holding her against his chest as he did earlier that day. Her tears seeped through his skin, echoing in his bones. He could feel her heart break and knew there was no better tool to start his coup d'éta. Keeping one arm around her, the other reached into his pocket and fished out a switchblade. Emilia lifted her head just briefly to see the weapon and she looked up at Renn, confused, afraid and desperate. **"You can end it. Mira needs you. She's crying for her mom. Do you understand?" **He took her hands and enclosed her fingers around the blade. One kiss on the forehead and he hoped it'd be enough encouragement, no matter how temporary. And then, he left.

His footfalls were quiet, cushioned by soft leather shoes. He wasn't very far from the cellar when he heard Emilia scamper downstairs. Hands deep in his pockets, he whistled the tune to an old nursery rhyme as he walked down the hallway. There was a skip in his step, perhaps a little too cheerful; he knew what would come next. Women were so predictable and the Boss's wife made it all too easy. He was barely outside when he heard the telltale scream, more blood-curdling that the ones that came from Mira's mouth. A cruel smile graced his lips as he turned towards the men on the veranda—Gianfranco's subordinates. Well, former. Each one was armed, waiting…and Renn was only too happy to give them the signal. **"Showtime, boys." **

* * *

One by one, the guests left and Xanxus knew better than to stay in one place. The help would notice him then and so he wandered out to the garden with a bottle of whiskey he swiped from the open bar. In the middle of the garden was a small pavilion and he settled there amongst flowers in full bloom. They filled the area with a scent far too sweet that it made almost made him sick. He'd never been fond of flowers and the only ones he could stand were Mira's lilies. When they got married, she somehow got it in her head that she could decorate the mansion however she pleased and so vases of those abominable things littered the place—her study, the library and their room at one point until he tossed out the water and put beer instead to kill. He learned to live with it then, when he smelled it on her skin. When she died, she took those flowers with her. Since then, not a single bud entered through Varia's doors. They just reminded him too much of funerals.

He kept a wary eye on his bracelet, waiting for the green light to turn yellow before he took one of Giannichi's knockout pills. The small canister sat in front of them, right next to his whiskey just in case he had to down it in an instant. However, the bottle remained unopened; he hadn't taken a drink and was only going to do so when he needed to wash the pill down. Somehow, the usual thirst had gone out of him, replaced by something hollow. Gianfranco Montecarlo's face flashed in his head; how he held Mira and how she forced herself to smile at him. _Kids don't do that. _He didn't consider himself an expert on the little tykes, but even he knew a thing or two about them.

That's when he heard it—a faint scream cutting through the dead of the night, followed by an explosion. Raising his eyes towards the sound, he easily found the source. It came from the west corner of the mansion and smoke seemed to rise up from its foundations. There were other sounds as well—gunfire and panic. Even flowers couldn't cover up the smell of death as it reared its ugly head in. Before he could stop himself, Xanxus rose to his feet and headed towards the heart of chaos. He arrived at the front of the mansion just in time to see fire eating the east wing. A few more explosions and the windows shattered, raining down glass in glittering shards. The help that he avoided earlier now swept past him, hugging their prizes to their chests. One carried candlesticks, the other silverware and plates. Two men were carrying a rolled up rug right out the door. As servants ransacked the burning mansion, gunfire erupted inside, so loud he could almost hear the shells as they fell to the floor. A single thought occurred in his head—a name—and it was enough to carry him through the door before it collapsed.

He stepped into the grand foyer, the heat of the flames radiating around him. From where he saw smoke coming out of the mansion's western foundation, white flames came forth, consuming everything in its path. Wherever something fed into the flame, the pale fires would become normal to match the red-and-orange blaze from the eastern side. Wood, brick and the entire Montecarlo history threatened to topple over at any minute. Nevertheless, Xanxus wanted to find her. _Not here, _he thought as memories of her flashed through his head. She'd survive somehow, he knew it; he just wanted to see for himself.

Xanxus wasn't a praying man but perhaps some deity might have been paying attention. On the balcony overlooking the foyer, Emilia appeared, holding a suitcase in one hand and her ten-year-old daughter in the other. Little Mira wound her arms around her mother's neck, afraid to let go. He wasn't sure if it was the flames that scared her so but then the man called Renn appeared and Emilia gave her daughter to him. As the child passed into another's arms, the red-haired man pulled a gun on Emilia, point blank. Only when he pulled the trigger did Mira struggle against him, banging her fists against his chest. Meanwhile, Emilia bled through a dime-sized hole in her forehead, with a look of disbelief and bewilderment. Her daughter screamed her name over and over again, and it was the last thing she heard before her body crumpled at Renn's feet.

As Xanxus stood witness, he snarled, ready to blast a hole through the bastard's face with his Flame of Wrath. He was poised for the attack when Mira saw him and she stretched out her hand, screaming for him. **"Please, help me!" **she cried, her voice shrill with the recent trauma and the ongoing panic.

All the while, Xanxus never noticed his bracelet had already turned yellow. He wanted to hurt the son of a bitch, just as he'd Mira; he suspected this wasn't the first time he made the little girl cry. But before he could even loose his attack, the bracelet turned red. He only had enough time to see Renn knock out the little girl with the butt of the gun. Then he blinked and the burning mansion, Mira's tear-stained face and her past—they were all gone.


	10. The Other Side: Part I

**The Other Side: Part I**

On the rare occasion that he would actually do his share of paperwork, Squalo would sit at his desk and work with a fervor that would redefine the very definition of enthusaism. It wasn't his favorite job on the planet, but hey, someone had to do it. With Mira's death, her duties and responsibilities passed onto him. He was even responsible for Angelo, in a way, especially when his father wasn't around. _And speaking of which…_it had already been a full 24 hours when Xanxus disappeared with Reborn. The swordsman tore his gaze away from the report he'd been reading to look at the phone beside him. They hadn't received a single call from him since he left with the baby Mafioso. Then again, Xanxus was never one to check in. He doubted the man ever personally picked up a phone in his life; if he did and you happened to be on the other line, you might as well consider yourself dead. It had always been Mira's job to make calls for him and now…

He hadn't visited her grave since the funeral. Business became a handy excuse for him, but he knew better. Unlike Xanxus, at least he was honest to himself about these things. The mansion seemed colder the day she died, the Boss a little worse off. What little they could salvage of the warmth she left in Angelo might as well have gone out too; the poor boy was probably a lot miserable than he let on. With that in mind, Squalo couldn't deny him anything. When he asked him if he could hang out with Dino that day, he had no choice but to say yes. **"Why the hell would you want to go over to Cavallone anyway?" **he remembered asking him.

**"Well, he knew Mom the longest, didn't he? So I thought…" **he trailed off then and the boy looked awfully shy, as if the next embarrassing thing was about to leave his mouth. Squalo held his tongue and let him speak. **"Nevermind. Anyway, I wanted to go find something to give Dad for when he gets back. He'll come back soon, won't he?" **

The swordsman lied through his teeth then and it left a bad taste in his mouth. Since Angelo left that morning, he hadn't eaten anything. He stayed holed up in his room, stamping approvals, reading letters, doing payroll, anything to keep himself occupied. It proved for a decent enough distraction when the three most important people in the mansion were gone. Their absence somehow made the place awfully bleak, like the embers in a fireplace after the flames have died down. A dreadful quiet settled and he didn't know how else to stave it off.

**"Oh, Squalo~ Guess who brought you food!~"**

_Too soon…I spoke too fucking soon. _Along with the eerily familiar, singsong voice was Lussuria, who barged into his room pushing a cart with a covered silver tray. Instinctively, the shark grabbed the nearest pen and threw it at Sun Guardian with the ferocity of a savage Amazon. **"VOOOIIII! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" **

Lussuria danced away from his makeshift weapon with ease and gave him a pout that sent shivers down his spine. **"Aw, don't say that. Look, I brought you dinner!" **

The swordsman cringed at his presence. It was almost a reflex now. Since he lost his only "female connection" on the planet when Mira, the green-haired assassin had been an annoying permanent fixture at his side. _Unshakeable pain in the ass is more like it, _he thought. He had a mind to send him away, along with the food he brought, when his stomach gurgled rather audibly. Lean and built like a whip, his stomach acids would make quick work of his insides without something substantial to break down. _Oh, for fuck's sake. _**"Fine, get in here. AND SHUT THE FUCKING DOOR!"**

Obediently, Lussuria wheeled the cart to his side and took off the lid from the silver tray with a flourish. Dinner tonight was some kind of pot roast and it did smell good…except it wasn't quite the same one Mira used to make. Nevertheless, Squalo grabbed a fork and tucked in hungrily, ignoring the plain taste of the dish. Meanwhile, Lussuria made himself comfortable on the edge of the desk, leaning his rump against it as he stared out of the window. It was already hard enough to ignore his presence, but then he just had to start talking.

**"You know, it's not like the Boss to dip out like that. Cupcake, maybe, but no…" **the green-haired assassin mused. **"Not him. And especially not with Reborn."**

As much of a fruitcake as he was, he did get one thing right. The Boss wasn't like his wife. Xanxus wouldn't budge even if the ground fell away beneath him. Mira, on the other hand, would've been long gone at the first sign of inevitable danger. **"No shit, Sherlock," **he snapped, taking an angry bite from his dinner. He didn't know who pissed him off more—Reborn, for taking away their Boss or Xanxus, for not even leaving so much as a fucking note.

**"Any ideas, then?" **asked Lussuria. **"There must be something we call tell Angelo about his father." **

The boy was with Dino right now, hoping something—_what, her residual presence?—_would rub off on him. He knew he still held on to his mother's necklace; clearly, Angelo was still holding on to whatever memory he had of her. And if that weren't hard enough, now his father's gone off somewhere and they had no idea why…or where he could possibly go. Squalo remained quiet for a while as he ate. It was another one of those rare occurrences, especially for the loudest member of Varia. However, his silence didn't last too long when he heard a knock at his door. **"VOOOIII, WHO THE FUCK IS IT THIS TIME?" **

A pathetic, female squeak came from the other side. **"Um, sir, it's um…" **

These days, he was more impatient than usual and so he growled, **"How about you open the fucking door and get in here? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" **

Instantly, the door swung open to reveal a petite, plain-faced girl in a French maid costume. It had _Lussuria _written all over it and the swordsman could only glare daggers at his associate, who raised his hands in mock surrender. **"What? Cupcake would've let me do that...eventually." **

** "YOU STUPID LITTLE SHIT—" **He was just about to launch into one of his trademark ear-splitting tirades when he heard the maid squeak again.

** "Sir, Angelo just got home. And he's got someone with him." **

Squalo groaned, half-tempted to shove his face into the pot pie. _Of all the days to have fucking visitors…_ **"Who the fuck is it now?"**

** "Dino Cavallone, sir. He wishes to speak with you."**

* * *

Being the spawn of Xanxus and Mira, he hadn't expected Angelo to be so obedient. **"I just need to talk to your Uncle Squalo alone for a bit," **he said, almost apologetically, one hand on top of the boy's head. Dino felt bad for sending him away, even for just a little while, but his gut told him it was the right thing to do. Whatever that swordsman might say, it was still best to keep delicate ears out of range. **"You understand, don't you?" **

**"Of course." **Angelo nodded, smiling the way his mother did when they were children. Apart from that, the kid had such an excellent poker face. If Dino offended him, he certainly didn't show it. At ten, he was already more mature than he was at that age. _She'd be proud, _the Cavallone Boss thought, watching as the boy made his way up the stairs. But then Angelo looked back for a moment as said, **"You'll say goodbye to me when you leave, right?" **

The question took Dino completely off-guard. **"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?" **

Those small shoulders shrugged as if he offered the simplest explanation. **"Dad left and he never did. I guess he just forgot." **He continued up the stairs, unaware of the dumbfounded look on Dino's face. His mind hadn't completely processed that fact when the maid he talked to earlier finally came to collect him.

**"He's ready to see you, sir. Right this way, please." **

She led him in front of two giant mahogany double doors and gestured for him to enter. Mumbling his thanks, Dino went inside, only to be met by the shark's cursory glare before going back to a piece of paper in his hand. **"Well? You're pretty damn social today." **

The Cavallone Boss chuckled and took the seat on the opposite side of the desk. **"And you look busy. That's pretty rare, isn't it?" **

When the swordsman looked up this time, it wasn't a fleeting glance. Those grey eyes meant business, Dino knew. And for that matter, he did too. **"Don't tell me you came here for idle talk," **the swordsman barked. **"Spit it out now or leave." **

Dino always knew him to be an irritable man, but not like this. _He was nicer when she was around. _Just as soon as the thought occurred, the realization that followed was just as interesting. She changed them, whether she knew it or not. In small, perhaps insignificant way, her presence did something to them. She took it all with her in death and now here they were, back to square one. **"You've always been so hasty, Squalo," **he said, a rueful smile appearing on his face. **"Alright, I'll cut to the chase. Where's Xanxus?" **

It wasn't like him to stay quiet, but when he did, Dino found himself listening closely. **"We don't know. He left with Reborn last night." **The swordsman held a pen in his good hand and when he clenched it into a fist, it snapped in two. The broken instrument lay there while the destroyer himself was seething, teeth bared in a snarl. **"Son of bitch didn't even tell us where he was going."**

Dino sighed and slumped back in his seat. **"What did you tell Angelo?" **

**"That he's out on a mission." **Squalo scoffed and gave his long white mane a slight shake. **"Which is utter bullshit. That man is the laziest bastard I know." **

The Cavallone boss couldn't help but chuckle as he nodded in agreement. Still, Xanxus's absence bothered him. As far as he knew, the Varia Boss never personally dealt with a problem himself; he sent his underlings to do that and only if they failed would he take their place—after kicking their asses, of course. But it wasn't like him to leave like that, especially with the most unlikely companion. Tsuna couldn't have summoned him and even if he did, Xanxus wouldn't just show up out of obedience. _What the hell is going on here? _**"In any case, we should keep the boy distracted. Just until we figure out the situation." **

They were flying blind on this one. Nevertheless, he didn't really need to tell the swordsman. He knew that and just as he did, he cared for the welfare of his Boss's son. **"No shit, Cavallone. What the hell do you think I've been doing?"**

* * *

When he opened his eyes again, Xanxus felt like death. Giannichi wasn't lying about those pills; they were supposed to knock him out and he didn't take them. As a result, his insides now threatened to crawl up his throat and spill all over the grass before him. He could at least feel that much, the prickly sensation of the ground he landed on this time. There was no carpet to break his fall. It was awfully bright outside and he screwed his eyes shut—once, twice, trying to acclimate himself with the situation. There were too many things going on—the sightlessness, the extreme nausea, the head-splitting migraine—and if that weren't enough, he could still see her face…young, screaming and utterly helpless. _That was done, _he thought. _She survived._

Slowly, he sat up, keeping his gaze half-lidded, when he felt someone touch his shoulder. It was a simple brush of fingers, but all the same, he caught it. Even without looking at it, he managed to clamp down on a wrist and held it in his vise-like grip.

"**Ow! Son of a bitch…let me go!" **The voice was undeniably female—and familiar. Almost instantly, his hold on her loosened until she was able to wrench herself free. **"What the hell is wrong with you? I was just trying to help." **

Xanxus turned and saw her for the first time. He wasn't the most expressive man but his eyes widened at the sight of her, kneeling before him as she rubbed at her sore wrist. This one was no copy. She was dressed in a long, white sundress and a cardigan that hid the scar he gave her. He knew every curve and line on her face, every wave in her hair. But her eyes held no recognition in them. _She doesn't know me, _he thought, and even then, the revelation hadn't completely sunk in yet.

He was a stranger in her eyes, he knew that much. However, it all hit him in its entirety when she pulled a gun on him and cocked it in his face. His crimson glare matched her blue ones on the other side of the barrel and neither one seemed to relent. **"Who the hell are you?" **she demanded, sounding just the same as ever. **"More importantly, how'd you end up in my backyard?" **

For a moment, his gaze left her face for a quick run down the body he knew so well. She looked every bit like his wife, but something was off. It didn't take him long to find it; this was _his _territory, after all. Her breasts seemed bigger and below it was the reason why…

She was pregnant.


End file.
